I'm a huge fan of the Social Model of Disability. We've established this, right, guys? I mean, I l know you've only known me for a few hours, but if you know one thing about me, it's that, am I correct? Hope so. Well, another thing you should know about me is that I'm complex. And so I feel it my blogging duty (because I have one small goal and that's to change the world) that this theoretical model has its weaknesses. Partially, this is because it focuses so much on the Social (duh!) experience of disability that it ignores the fact that disability is also a physical one. Now, saying this does not mean that the
physicality of disability does indeed make it a tragedy which disability activists like myself are trying to cover up, but it does mean I'm not just in my wheelchair for kicks and giggles. In mentioning the physical aspect to other people with disabilities, I'm sometimes met with the implication that I am a bit clueless or overstating, but physical disability is, well, physical. Of course, this doesn't make the Social Model invalid by any means, but if there were a model that combines both the physical and social aspects, I think it would be great.
When I speak to groups about disability issues, inevitably there are a few people who say that the Social Model is not the whole story, because there is a physical basis for physical disability, and they are right, which I tell them if they are not total pains about it
:-)
But there is strong resistance to admitting that the Social Model, the darling of the disability rights movement, isn't everything. Why? Because, quite simply, admitting that disability is physical and that we are objectively different in some ways, hurts. And saying that makes us vulnerable to people saying, "See? You really are freaks!" Who wants that? So we don't. So how do we fix this? People with and without disabilities need to acknowledge that the physical aspects of disability don't mean that the social aspects aren't valid. As long as they are viewed as mutually exclusive, there will be reluctance on the part of disabled people to tell the whole truth about our experiences for fear that we will be dismissed. Disabled people need to listen to other disabled people better and not be so quick to judge each other. And all of us, disabled or not, need to start a deeper, more respectful conversation about our similarities and differences.
Here's hoping we do.
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