Essay Sample on Disability: Types, Models & Impact on Daily Life

Introduction

Disability according to (Disability and Health Overview | CDC, 2020) is any condition of the body or mind that makes it difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities and interaction with the environment around them. There many types of disabilities; example vision, movement, thinking, remembering, learning, communication, hearing, mental health and social relationships. These conditions may occur naturally or through medical conditions. There are several models of disability example religious, medical, social, right based and economical model. The two we will discuss is the medical and social model.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

In medical models one with a disability is an ill person or patient that needs professional health assistance to fix the problem (Berghs et al., 2020). In this model disability is an impairment associated with deviation from normal body function this consequentially affects the individual leading to an abnormality in/on their body. While social model views disability as a result of environment and the societies attitude of people with disability, that prevents inclusion of them into the society. People with disability go through various form of discrimination, oppression and this affects their normal day to day life.

Life of people living with disability goes against the normal lifestyle set socially, especially through child and in the course of their lives. Disability disrupt a family's way of living from providing the basic needs of the disabled child to behavior changes in the society from resentment to guilt. This leads to people with disability feeling a sense of guilt that can lead to social distancing and mental health issues. This can be seen in the case study of Chris where he cannot go out with his friends because the services in certain areas does not cater to his needs. Also, we can also see the society not believing that he cannot work due to his inability to move body.

In the case study, where we are introduced to Chris a teenager who became disabled due to a car accident goes through various forms of discrimination and oppression. Example is when he was on a date with his partner and he was verbally harassed by stranger who claimed that a spaz like him should not date a pretty girl like his girlfriend. This not only showed discrimination towards Chris but also how the society views on people with ability when they have an advantage over them. Also, he goes through various oppression but this it attributed to the societal system; example is when he tried boarding a bus but his wheelchair could not fit. Instead of collapsing the baby cart the woman next to him decides not to; this prevents Chris from boarding the bus. In order for disabled people to feel more secure and involved we as a community must ensure that we create an environment that is fair and that allows disabled people to thrive.

This secure and fair environment can be achieved through policy changes and implementing laws. A good example is the Disability Act 2005 which states that public service providers to support access to services and facilities for people with disabilities (Ahead - Disability Act 2005, 2020). This ensure that they are entitled to their education and health needs, have access to public buildings and public service employment. This that families affected by disability can access critical services without the need to pay more or relay on government cheques for support when sometimes it's not enough. Other policies include The Equality Act 2010 act provides provision for people with nine protected characteristics including disability (Disability rights, 2020). This act provides a framework that protect the rights of individuals from unfair treatment and promotes a fair and more equal society.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2020. Disability and Health Overview | CDC. [online] Available at: <https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/disability.html> [Accessed 2 April 2020].

Berghs, M., Atkin, K., Graham, H., Hatton, C. and Thomas, C., 2020. Scoping Models and Theories of Disability. [online] Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Available at: <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK378951/> [Accessed 2 April 2020].

Ahead.ie. 2020. Ahead - Disability Act 2005. [online] Available at: <https://www.ahead.ie/disabilityact> [Accessed 2 April 2020].

Equalityhumanrights.com. 2020. What Is The Equality Act? | Equality And Human Rights Commission. [online] Available at: <https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/equality-act-2010/what-equality-act> [Accessed 2 April 2020].

GOV.UK. 2020. Disability Rights. [online] Available at: <https://www.gov.uk/rights-disabled-person> [Accessed 2 April 2020].