The social model of disability views disability as the result of barriers in society rather than a problem within the individual.
In this model, an impairment is a physical, sensory, cognitive, or psychological difference. Disability arises when environments, systems, or attitudes fail to accommodate that difference.
The focus shifts from “fixing” the person to removing barriers.
The social model assumes that:
Disability is understood as an interaction between individuals and their environment.
The social model has influenced:
It reframes disability as a civil rights and equality issue rather than a medical condition.
In digital contexts, it shifts the question from:
"What is wrong with the user?" to "What in this design creates exclusion?"
The social model:
It provides the foundation for most modern accessibility standards and regulations.
The social model is powerful, but it is not complete.
It can:
Some individuals require both environmental adjustments and medical support.
The social model addresses systemic barriers but does not replace medical perspectives entirely.
Social-model thinking leads to questions like:
The responsibility moves from “the user needs tools” to “the system must work inclusively.”
Accessibility becomes a design responsibility.
The social model contrasts with:
While the medical model focuses on the individual, the social model focuses on the environment.
Many modern frameworks combine insights from multiple models.
Digital accessibility is fundamentally shaped by the social model.
If disability results from barriers, then accessibility is about removing those barriers.
This perspective makes accessibility:
It shifts accessibility from accommodation to inclusion.
The social model of disability views disability as the result of societal barriers rather than individual deficits.
It provides the foundation for inclusive design and accessibility standards.
In digital contexts, it reframes accessibility as a responsibility of design and systems — not of individual users.