Medical model where the issue is the individual vs social model where the issue is the environment.

Of many frameworks that attempt to provide perspective and clarity to disability issues, perhaps the two most prominent are the “medical” and “social” models of disability.

The medical model asserts that disability is primarily the result of an individual’s impairments. In this model, disability is seen as a shortcoming, linked to the individual, that requires correction or accommodation. In order to participate in school, employment, and other social institutions, an individual must seek assistance.

By contrast, the social model asserts that society creates barriers that disable people; that disability is the result of social systems and environments that fail to take into account the full range of human capability. In this model, it is the systems that must be reimagined and adapted, so that they are accessible and usable to people across a spectrum of ability levels.