Comparison of the Four Models of Disability

 

Model / Perspective | Main Focus | How Disability Is Understood | Who Has a Key Role? Main Response / Solution

Medical Model   Individual and clinical    Disability is primarily associated with impairment, health condition, or functional difficulty.   Healthcare professionals and the individual    Diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and management

Social Model Society and barriers    Disability is created or increased by physical, social, attitudinal, and institutional barriers.  Society, organisations, and communities   Remove barriers, improve accessibility, and promote inclusion

Biopsychosocial Model: Interaction between factors. Disability is influenced by the interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors.    Individual, healthcare professionals, support services, and society. Holistic, person-centred support combined with appropriate environmental changes

Human Rights & Empowerment Perspective: Rights, equality, autonomy, and participation. Disability is understood in relation to inequality, discrimination, restricted participation, and denial of rights. Individuals, organisations, governments, and society  Empowerment, advocacy, equality, accessibility, participation, and protection of rights

🔑 The main difference

 

You can remember the four approaches as four different questions:

 

🏥 Medical Model

 

"What is the person's health condition, and how can we treat or manage it?"

 

♿ Social Model

 

"What barriers are preventing this person from participating?"

 

🧬 Biopsychosocial Model

 

"How are biological, psychological, and social factors interacting?"

 

⚖️ Human Rights & Empowerment

 

"Are this person's rights, choices, dignity, and voice being respected?"

 

One important correction to the original table

 

I would avoid saying that the Medical Model's only solution is "cure." Many disabilities and health conditions cannot be cured. The medical approach can also involve treatment, rehabilitation, symptom management, prevention, and assistive interventions.

 

Similarly, the Social Model isn't simply saying that the person's body has nothing to do with their experience. Its major contribution is showing how society can turn an impairment or difference into disadvantage through barriers and discrimination.

 

⭐ Exam memory aid

 

Medical → Treat

Social → Remove barriers

Biopsychosocial → Integrate

Human Rights → Empower

 

And the models can work together. For example, a disabled person might need medical treatment and an accessible environment and psychological support and protection of their legal rights.

 

That is why the four perspectives are best understood as different lenses for understanding disability, rather than four approaches where one must completely replace the others.