A contribution towards a possible re-invigoration of our understanding of the social model of disability’s potential

Abstract

There has been published work in Disability & Society showing that the social model of disability may be re-invigorated if its emphasis reflects current social conditions and their specific context and if relevant questions are applied to specific impairment labels by each country. In this paper, I further address the issue of terminologies, concerning the notions of impairment, disability, the social model, as well as some terms with negative connotations surrounding these notions. I argue that, in attempting to detangle part of language’s complexity, it may be important to re-focus on the dynamic nature of relevant chameleon-like terminologies and their impact on attitudes towards disability, which seem to be prolonged. This scope, when coupled to a clearer focus on a materialist approach to disability, may act as a catalyst towards a re-invigoration of our understanding of the social model’s potential.

Points of interest

• This article looks into the issue of terminologies surrounding the notions of impairment, disability and the social model of disability.

• The article is written by an intellectually disabled woman who is committed to the social model of disability.

• Such discussions are important because the nature of the terminologies surrounding disability is often masked. As such, it affects attitudes toward disability.

• The materialist approach to disability is suggested to be at the heart of such discussions.

• When disabled people themselves raise such discussions, they act as catalysts towards a re-invigoration of our understanding of the social model of disability’s potential.

Keywords:

• Social model of disability
• impairment
• disability
• terminologies
• attitudes
• materialist approach

Acknowledgements

I am deeply indebted to my teachers Dr. Helen Phtiaka and Dr. Simoni Symeonidou, as well as to my critical friend Dr. Eleni Damianidou, for their ongoing help and support, and for believing in me; without their guidance, this work would not have been possible and I would still be immensely confused and identity-less.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).