I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to assist with the development of a new resource aimed at broadening people’s understanding of the human rights model of disability; which was born out of the more widely utilised social model.

The social model of disability has played a fundamental role in the progression of the disability rights movement in Australia and overseas. It is based on the premise that people are more disabled by the barriers society puts in their way than by the features of their own bodies. It would say, for example, that I am not disabled by the fact that I cannot see. I am disabled by inaccessible services and systems that exist in society and the fact that things are not always designed with my needs in mind. And for the most part, this is true.

For the very first time, the social model gave people with disability a way of recognising that many of the problems they face rest with the decisions and actions of other people in society, and not with themselves. While still a useful framework for describing disability, the social model does have its limitations though. These limitations have been addressed through the development of the human rights model of disability, which fundamentally underpins the work of the disability advocacy sector today.

To find out more about how the social model falls short and how the human rights model applies, check out the Disability Advocacy Resource Unit’s new resource, “How We Talk About Disability Matters“.

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