Equality: Voices in Union

Key Issues

1. Introduction: The social model of disability

What is the social model of disability?

Learning points

  • The medical model says the problem is the person; the social model says that it’s social barriers like other people’s attitudes about disabled people, inaccessible buildings, transport and communication methods, and the inflexible ways in which things like services, education and employment are organised.
  • The solution is to adjust the way society and its institutions operate, and remove barriers. It is not a medical condition or impairment that disables people, but society’s failure to accommodate people with impairments.
  • Social barriers are not usually put in place deliberately, but if you don’t have lived experience of confronting them, they aren’t always easy to see. That’s why involving people with that lived experience in designing inclusive policy and practice is very important.
 

Reflective question

Think about the different elements to your day, from when you wake up, got to work, come home, and until you go to bed. 

What are points in your day you can move through with ease? 

What are other aspects of your day that feel like they are more cumbersome? 

Do you think these are the same for others, and how might they be different for a disabled person?

The EIS recognises and values the many contributions of disabled people in our schools, colleges, universities and Trade Union. The EIS also recognises the insight and experience that disabled workers can bring to their establishments, for the diversity of thought and perspective in the workplace, and also particularly at a time when a growing number of learners have additional support needs. It can be valuable for learners, whether disabled or not, to see disabled adults thrive in their jobs, and that educational establishments can be inclusive environments for all.

Unfortunately, disabled workers continue to experience barriers to their fair and equitable participation at work, and the realisation of their rights to reasonable adjustments. Neither education systems, nor workplaces are designed with disabled people in mind, which puts disabled workers at substantial disadvantages compared to others in the workplace. To level the playing field, it is essential that reasonable adjustments are implemented effectively and respectfully.