With reference to literature, examine the shift from a medical Essay

With reference to literature, examine the shift from a medical understanding of disability to social one. Discuss the extent to which the social model itself can now be considered outdated - Essay Example Currently, medical model of disability is used by many people use it to view disability. The social model, on the other hand, has been the outcry of many disabled people established to challenge the medical model. It is propagated by the disabled people who feel that their disability is as a result of personal problem and would prefer to keep their disability, and avoid treatment. This paper seeks to discuss the extent to which the social model itself can be viewed as outdated in reference to the shift in medical understanding of disability. The medical model of disability can be said to be a social political model. The model advocates that disability is inborn and is as a result of physical condition found within an individual. This disability can affect an individual emotionally, physically and mentally affecting how the person acts within the society. In this model, the problem is located within the individual (Norwich 2008 pp.54). The model advocates for seeking medical attention for treatment for the impairments or the disabled. The medical intervention provided to people with impairments enables them to fit well within the society without frustrations. The medical model attempts to explain that, the individual disability emanates from clinical conditions and it does not make distinctions between impairments and individual disability (Shakespeare1998 pp.36) In this model, the disabled individuals need to be provided with attention and help to fit in the society, and if this turn out to be problematic the disabled individuals should be taken to institutions that accommodate them while providing services that help them live within the society. The model brings out stereotypes among people who are not disabled influencing their attitudes and perceptions where they see the disabled people with a lot of pity, fear and negative attitudes towards them. The power to help and change the disabled individuals seems