Anisa Wellington | May 29, 2026 - Atlanta, GA

The medical model of disability views disability as a problem with the individual person. This results in the idea of needing to fix a person to bring them closer to a “normal” level of functioning. As its name suggests, the medical model centers how disabilities should be handled by using a medical context. Medical professionals are seen as experts in disability that disabled people need to follow the guidance of to get closer to a “normal” level of functioning. 

This model is often critiqued for resulting in disabled folks losing independence. The focus on what disabled folks cannot do lowers expectations of what they can do. In addition, this model constantly focuses on the idea that something is wrong with a person, and that that is the source of their issues. This can unfortunately lead to disabled people experiencing feelings of low self-worth.

Consider a person who uses a wheelchair and wants to enter a building that is only accessible by stairs. The medical model of disability would suggest that the person could not access the building because they cannot walk. Through this model, gaining access relies on the person’s disability being cured, however this is often not a possibility. A contrasting model called the social model of disability would instead consider the environment as the disabling force. It would encourage people to look for ways to change the environment to promote access. For example, including a ramp would allow the person to still access the building.      
 

Further Readings

•  Conceptualizing disability: Three models of disability
• Models of Disability 
• Social Model vs Medical Model of Disability