Shifting beliefs about disability
The way we think about disability and the beliefs we hold about disabled people have changed over time. Today, we understand that disabled people have the same rights as non-disabled people. We also know that disabled people face barriers to participating in and contributing to their communities that non-disabled people do not.
The table below shows how thinking about disability has changed over time.
Shifts in thinking about disability |
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FROM
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TO |
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Disability is an individual problem |
Disability is a problem in society |
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Differences in abilities are inadequacies |
Differences in abilities are assets |
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Seeing deficits |
Seeing strengths |
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Us and them: exclusion - tolerance |
All of us: inclusion - valuing |
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Society choosing for ‘them’ |
Disabled people choosing for themselves |
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Professionals know best |
People have different kinds of knowledge |
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Charity based |
Rights based |
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Patient |
Citizen |
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Institutional orientated |
Community orientated |
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Medical model of disability - control or cure |
Social model of disability - change environment and attitudes |
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