Disability Studies Lecture Review

Flashcards for reviewing key concepts from the disability studies lecture notes.

What are the origins of the term 'normal'?

The concept of normal emerged in the 1830s tied to industrialization and statistical analysis, reinforcing a binary of normal vs. abnormal, justifying discrimination.

Where does eugenics come from and how is it relevant to disability studies?

Eugenics advocated selective breeding to improve human traits, targeting disabled people, minorities, and the poor, justifying forced actions and existing in prenatal genetic testing.

How should we view the statistics discipline in light of the history shared by Davis? How about social sciences that use statistical methods such as economics?

Statistics defined 'normal' and justified eugenics. Statistical methods measured/classified bodies. Economics relies on statistical norms, marginalizing those who don’t fit capitalist labor standards.

Describe one moment in Crip Camp that highlighted an issue surrounding access or accessibility and explain what access meant in that context.

The government refused to enforce Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, denying disabled people participation in public life. Activists occupied buildings, with support, like that of the Black Panthers.

Describe one moment in Crip Camp that you found particularly interesting or moving.

At Camp Jened topics, such as dating, became more possible. Also, matters such as overprotective able-bodied parents of disabled children were discussed.

What is one model of disability discussed or enacted in Invitation to Dance?

Social Model: Society is structured to exclude disabled people, such as no accessible spaces like polling stations or job opportunities. Disability studies have been incorporated with dance to make space more inclusive.

Describe one moment in Invitation to Dance that highlighted an issue surrounding access or accessibility in NYC and explain what access meant in that context.

NYC curb cuts were originally designed for garment workers rolling racks of clothes, prioritizing economic efficiency over disability access. Accessibility should not just accommodate basic needs, but also enjoyment.

Social Model of Disability

View disability as a result of societal barriers rather than individual impairment, focusing on removing environmental, institutional, and attitudinal obstacles.

Medical Model of Disability

Defines disability as an individual’s physical or mental impairment, focusing on diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. Emphasizes role of healthcare professionals and promotes research by “outsiders”.

Charity Model of Disability

Sees disabled people as objects of pity in need of charity or benevolence due to personal tragedy. Encourages donations and paternalistic interventions.

Moral Model of Disability

Attributes disability to moral failings, sin, or divine punishment, linked to religious and cultural beliefs.

Affirmation Model of Disability

Celebrates disability as a positive identity, promoting pride, self-worth, and community-building among disabled individuals.

Minority Model of Disability

Frames disability as a social and political identity akin to race or gender, emphasizing discrimination, oppression, and the need for civil protections.

Cultural Model of Disability

Examines disability as a socially constructed concept shaped by cultural narratives, recognizing the diversity of disabled experiences.

Relational Model of Disability

Disability is an interaction between the individual and their social environment, recognizing both personal impairments and societal barriers.

Nagi Model of Disability

Distinguishes between impairment, functional limitation, and disability (inability to perform social roles). Functional limitations are restrictions that impairments impose on an individual’s ability to perform.

Human Rights Model of Disability

Focuses on inherent dignity and societal barriers, advocating for human dignity as the central value in policy-making.

Human Development Model of Disability

Wellbeing includes the capabilities and functionings individuals value, emphasizing human flourishing, multidimensional wellbeing, and individual choices

International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) Model

Understands disability as impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. It’s a combination of medical and social models.

UK Social Model of Disability

UK Disability Activism rooted in Marxism: disability is a social construct, challenging structural exclusion and systemic discrimination.

US Social Model (minority model)

Disabled people are seen as a minority and should be treated as a group of marginalized people, advocating for anti-discriminatory legislation and disability pride.

Non-participatory Disability Research

Researcher-led, traditional academic studies on disability.

Participatory Disability Research

Shared knowledge, collaboration between researchers and disabled participants, using inclusive research practices.

Emancipatory Disability Research

Action research, disabled people working with academics to lead research to challenge discrimination

How is a disability model based on the capability approach different from the ICF model?

The capability approach emphasizes individuals’ abilities to achieve well-being based on their real opportunities and freedoms. Disability is viewed in terms of impairment affecting an individual’s real opportunities for functioning.

Do you agree or disagree with this statement: the appropriate definition of disability depends on the reasons behind its definition

YES, the definition of disability can vary significantly depending on the context and purpose behind the definition.

How does one measure disability in population based surveys?

Assessments by survey staff (trained researchers), self-reports from individuals / household respondents, and self-identification.

Why does the use of impairment measures reinforce the conception that disability is rare?

Limited sight does not count as blindness

The question does not go in depth or account for changes in health conditions / school environments / etc…

Broad activity limitations question

Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs)

Expressed as a unit of time

Direct measurements

Asks people to report if they are limited in their opportunity or achievements / activities due to an impairment / health condition

Indirect measurement

Identifying people with impairments or health conditions, and the subset who are well being deprived

Unadjusted prevalence

A simple count of people with disabilities in a population

Adjusted prevalence

Accounts for factors like age, sex, and socioeconomic status to provide a more accurate comparison across different populations

What are some of the limitations of the DALYs?

• DALYs do not align with the WHO’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF)

What is biocertification?

Biocertification: the process of certifying disability through legal and medical frameworks.

What is the purpose of measuring disability?

Assess exclusion and discrimination, inform policy, and ensure equitable access to resources. It is also used to understand lived experience and track systemic barriers

How is the movie “I, Daniel Blake” relevant to this course, in general, and to Topic 3 on measurement in particular?

It shows someone living with a disability, trying to seek accommodations, dealing with bureaucratic systems, The rigidity of the system makes it difficult to seek help

Poverty Threshold

Annual income below which a family is officially considered poor

Poverty Rate

Percentage of the population with incomes below the poverty threshold

Supplemental poverty measure

adjusts the threshold to where people live to account for variable costs of living

Multidimensional Poverty Measure (MDM)

Considers monetary (consumption, expenditure) and non-monetary (education, living conditions) factors at individual and household levels

Dual Cutoff Multidimensional Poverty Measure (Alkire & Foster)

First cutoff - traditional dimension-specific poverty, Second cutoff - determines how widely deprived that person is and is it enough to be considered poor?

Poverty measured via non-health per capita expenditure (PCE)

If a household has high health spending (due to disability), it may appear less poor even though those expenses are not optional / discretionary. Does not account for additional non-health disability costs such as transport.

Geography’s affect on costs

Urban areas may have more accessible services but higher costs. Rural areas may lack services entirely, forcing relocation or long travel

Comparative Approach (Goods & Services Method)

Compares expenses between disabled and non-disabled people. Limitation - may over/underestimate due to spending habits or access limits

Standard of Living (SOL) Approach

Compares assets and living standards between similar households with and without disabled members, captures actual spending, not necessary spending for full inclusion

Goods & Services Required (GSR) Method

Builds on GS by focusing on what is NEEDED for equal participation, even if it is not purchased. LMICs may need services that are unavailable, requiring hypothetical price estimates

Budget standards approach

Ask what people need (not just what they buy) and assigns prices to those items

What are the advantages of using the World Bank international poverty measure based on non-health per capita expenditures to document the situation of persons with disabilities and disability inequalities worldwide?

Allows for cross-country comparisons using a consistent, widely recognized poverty line and has data that is often already collected and accessible.

What are the advantages of using a multidimensional poverty measure such as Alkire and Foster (2011) to document the situation of persons with disabilities and disability inequalities worldwide?

captures multiple aspects of poverty (education, health, living standards, etc.), not just income and Better reflects the full range of disadvantages disabled people face.

What are causal factors that may drive the disability-poverty correlation besides the causal links described by Yeo and Moore?

Lack of accessible infrastructure and services increases daily costs and limits opportunities

Case of disability in Rawls is divided into two approaches: social primary goods and capability.

Social primary goods (Rawls) - measures relative advantage in terms of shared general resources and acknowledges differences in individuals’ conception of the good (no account of other diversity), while CA considers diversity.

How Rawls’ understands human diversity (luck)

Difference principle - there must be fairness in distribution of fundamental goods in society regardless of differences in natural ability

How does one decide to work?

Evaluate the benefits of work vs. non-work (leisure)

Labor force participation

One who wants to work, as evidenced by working or by looking for work

Reservation wage

Minimum wage someone is willing to work for

Marginal Revenue Product of Labor (MRPL)

Extra money a firm earns from hiring one more worker (or from one more hour of work)

Marginal Cost of Labor (MCL)

cost of hiring that extra worker (wage + any benefits)

Quota policy

• Government / private sectors have to hire a minimum number / percent of a marginalized group

Universal Design (UD)

political project that reflects cultural values and power structures, UD often centers a normative user (white, able-bodied man) and claims to be for “everyone” while still excluding marginalized people

Crip technoscience

framework that centers disabled people’s own creative adaptations and technologies

Research Question in Ameri et al

Do employers discriminate against job applicants with disabilities during early stages of the hiring process?

Does Ameri et al show evidence of prejudice and/or statistical discrimination?

Yes, Ameri et al. presents clear evidence of discrimination (more statistical discrimination than overt prejudice)

Social protection

A set of policies and programs aimed to support individuals and families who are poor / vulnerable

Social protection schemes

Help manage situations adversely affecting a person’s well-being, including financial hardships

Community-based rehabilitation (CBR)

goal is to enhance social inclusion for PWD and reverse the cycle of poverty and disability

Why did Kuper et al study - Social protection for people with disabilities in Tanzania

• although policies exist that mention disability, actual programs fail to include disabled people meaningfully

Chaudhry study - disability, gender, and neoliberal debtscapes of microfinance in India

Microfinance programs often overlook or inadequately address the needs of disabled women / They are doubly marginalized due to disability and gender