Exploring the Social Model of Disability: Homes, Hospitals, and Care

This essay examines the social model of disability, emphasizing how societal structures, rather than individual impairments, are the primary cause of disability. It explores the concept of enabling environments, particularly within homes and hospitals, and how they can be adapted to support independent living. The essay highlights the importance of removing physical and social barriers to create inclusive spaces for disabled individuals, drawing on case studies to illustrate these points. It discusses the significance of environmental design, assistive technology, and integrated living in promoting autonomy and well-being. The role of hospitals as care settings, encompassing physical, social, and psychological environments, is also analyzed. The conclusion reinforces the need for accessible homes and the implementation of the social model to foster equality, independence, and control for disabled persons.

Social model of
disability

Table of Contents
PART A...........................................................................................................................................3
PART B............................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

PART A
Social model of disability is a way through which the world can be viewed and developed
by disable people. From this plan it is understandable that every care relationship has their own
particular setting and it is therefore provided in a range of formal and informal settings and
includes hospitals and care homes. Further, the whole essay is based on learning guide 9 which
will help in exploring enabling and disabling environments and also adaptions that can be made
in helping individuals in such way that they can live independently in their own homes. In
addition to this, this essay also helps in highlighting on ways through which homes can be made
as one of the most enabling environments.
PART B
Social model of disability
Social model of disability says that the main cause of disability is basically due to way in
which society is organised instead by persons impairment or difference. The social model is
termed as extremely simple, memorable and also effective and even there are huge benefits of
social model which is described in three main areas (Heywood, 1996). Further, Social model of
disability is a way through which the world can be viewed and developed by disable people.
Social model of disability generally offers a clear agenda in terms of social change. They offers a
straightforward way in terms of distinguishing allies from enemies. Further, it also reduces to the
terminology that is used by people as disabled people signals this approach. Further the social
model also suggest that if the people are disabled then they are also prevented from taking part in
the everyday activity (Oliver, 1990).
It has also been demonstrated that the problems which is disabled people are termed as the result
of social oppression and exclusion, not their individual deficits.
Homes can be made into enabling environment
Home is that place where a person get care. Further, it also presents physical barrier for
the people in order to carry out the people's needs for care and also support the changes as well
(Imrie, 2006). The main meaning of being disabled is therefore determined by the case study of
Veronica, the design of her home disabled her. Thus, environmental design plays very important
role in analysing what people do and are able to do for themselves.

While enabling environment is a rich and varied space where risks are decreased and
managed in well and adequate manner. While, children are protected from harm and abuse
environment. Apart from this, the adaptation to the home is also help to remove some barriers
and make the environment more enabling environment.
As per the case study of veronica, she had a friend having mobility problems and needed
wheelchair to get about. Basically he use to travel all over the world on wheel chair but when he
went for a shopping in a small town, he have to face huge difficulty to enter into the doors of that
shopping centre because the doors were quite narrow. It has also been analysed that people with
learning difficulties might be thought to be disabled, but it can be only attitude to difference and
thought that someone might need some kind of support (Thomas, 2004).
Further, to overcome this she has to change her home style that can make people to live
somewhere that is wheelchair accessible with wide doors and ramps that will enable them in
entering and exiting building easily. She must also make some space available for people so that
other members can be accommodated of their family when they are visiting them. In addition to
this, she can also adopt assistive technology which helps a person to maintain their autonomy
and stay in their own homes (Peace, 2015). such as pneumatic power chair, hoist or power bidet.
Further, it has also been determined that integrated living is termed as one of the most important
and key part in order to overcome any kind of barriers of a disabling society.
Hospital as a place for care
The hospital are varying in design and layout and it also involves the patients and staff as
well. Further it is also based upon social and psychological environment with a physical also
(Peace, 2015). Thus, there are three characteristics through which hospital environment can be
considered as the place for care. This three characteristics has been discussed as below-
 Physical environments of hospital means the design and structure in which the settings of
care is built. This includes the way in which the wards are built which gives patients the
presence of homely care (Nightingale, 1860).
 Social environments are that which means the ways through which places are used and
organised by as well as also for the people. This includes roles and responsibilities of
people those who are involved in setting and also the way they interact with their patients
and visitors. This also helps in making the environment as homely.

 Psychological environments includes the way how places are meant to the people that are
visiting it. This includes pleasant working environment for staff and also facilities in such
way that would help patients to feel comfortable and also cared for (Shakespeare, 2006).
Further, it has been analysed by patients and staff as per their discussion that home
maintenance and improvements are often required over time as needs of people are change.
Moreover, to continue to live at home, if they are accessible, then it is good for the people's
wellbeing.
CONCLUSION
From the above essay, it has been analysed that for disabled person home must be made
as the most enabling environment. Thus, it is important because this makes disabled person feel
free and homely. Further, social model of disability has been discussed that helps in recognising
the barriers which leads in making life harder and also in overcoming them which further helps
in creating equality and also offers high level of independence, choice and control for disabled
person.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Heywood, F. (1996) Managing Adaptations: Positive ideas for social services, Bristol, The
Policy Press.
Imrie, R. (2006) 'Independent lives and the relevance of lifetimes homes' , Disability and
Society, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 359-74.
Nightingale, F. (1860) notes on Nursing: What it Is, and What it is not, London, Harrison.
Oliver, M. (1990) The politics of Disablement, London, Macmillan.
Peace, S. (2015 forthcoming) 'Meaning of Home' , in Twigg, J. and Martin, W. (eds) Handbook
of Cultural Geronotology, London, Routledge.
Shakespeare, T. (2006) Disability Rights and Wrongs, New york, Routledge.
Thomas, P. (2004) 'The experience of disables people as customers in the owner occupied
market', housing Studies, vol. 19, no. 5, pp. 781-94.