The Medical Model of Disability and its Impact on Deaf Culture

  • What is Normal? The lecture starts by talking about what "normal" means. Using examples like The Addams Family, it shows how some groups are seen as strange or "not normal" based on society's views.

  • Images of Family: A search for "Family" shows pictures of happy, usually white families with a mom, dad, and two kids. These images suggest how a family should look and leave out other types, like single-parent families or families with disabilities, making them seem "dysfunctional."

  • Goals of the Class: This lecture looks at the medical model, how it views people with disabilities, what the model does, how it affects the Deaf community, and examples from today's media.

Basics of the Medical Model of Disability

  • Why Learn About Disability Models?: Learning about these models is important for human rights. It's especially critical for students of South African Sign Language (SASL) who may become activists, teachers, interpreters, or other roles.

  • History: Disability was first seen through religious views. As medical knowledge grew, doctors took over the role of defining disabilities and finding cures.

  • Biological View: The medical field sees disability just as a biological issue, meaning it focuses on curing the individual rather than looking at the broader context of their lives.

Important Definitions of the Medical Model

  • WHO Definition (2002): The World Health Organization describes the medical model by saying:

    • Disability is a part of the individual.

    • It is caused by illness or injury.

    • It needs medical help by professionals.

    • The goal is to fix the problem in the individual.

  • Knight's View (1998): Knight sees the medical model as viewing impairment as an illness. It puts all responsibility of the condition and its impact on the disabled person.

  • Root Cause of Problems: In this model, being disabled is viewed as the main cause of challenges faced by disabled individuals. These challenges can only be solved through medical treatment.

  • Main Points of the Model: - Disability is seen as a personal issue.

    • The person with the disability is viewed as "the problem" and must change to fit into society.

    • The main goal is to "fix" or "normalize" the individual.