Comments | friendly_crips: Models of disability

renniek in friendly_crips

Models of disability

Oct 22, 2013 22:54

This article posted by Sam on sunday (trigger warning: anti-crip) link to article got me thinking about the medical and social models of disability. While the medical model has obvious flaws, to me it feels like the social model can have flaws for some people too. I'm speaking as someone who has MS, so my disability isn't something I was born with ( Read more... )

describing disability: the social model, describing disability: the medical model, adaptations and accomodations, conditions: multiple sclerosis

Comments 9

yesididit October 22 2013, 22:54:32 UTC

park benches evenly spaced out along walking trails would allow me to walk my dogs a lot farther and more frequently. just having that place to sit and rest a few moments means a world of difference for me. but since there arent benches, i cant go to the trails anymore. we just walk around the block(s) because i can judge how far i can go without resting, and change my mind/turn sooner if necessary.

lakmiseiru October 22 2013, 23:13:35 UTC

Silly question for you - are you able to use a folding stool? I have a small one that fits on the side of my daypack that I use to sit at bus stops, and sometimes at long stoplights and the like. (if you've already considered one, my apologies; it's something I never would have thought of using before I got it, so figured I'd mention it)

yesididit October 22 2013, 23:50:48 UTC

i've never heard of one! *off to google*

lakmiseiru October 22 2013, 23:52:46 UTC

I use a folding stool from REI, an outdoor store in the States. It's light and small, but is fairly low, so if you have trouble getting up from a seat, that may be tricky. Another option is shooting sticks (a monopod with a small seat on top that hunters use), or the canes that have stools attached that fold out. I use the small stool because I can take it everywhere easily, but have seen folks use the other two options as well.

lakmiseiru October 22 2013, 23:12:09 UTC

Ahh, thank you *so much* for writing this! I wasn't born with my disabilities either, although they do stem from underlying conditions with genetic contributions (one popped up in high school, one in college, and the last in grad school ( ... )

sammason October 23 2013, 04:52:49 UTC

This! Well said.

sammason October 23 2013, 04:58:29 UTC

renniek you picked a great userpic for this post! It's one of my favourite Harry Enfield sketches and ideal for this topic! In case anybody hasn't seen the sketch, here it is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LS37SNYjg8w

the_physicist October 23 2013, 11:16:04 UTC

Like you, my pain comes and goes in waves and it's something I want rid of completely ideally. I've already lost 50% mobility in my upper spine and I would rather I hadn't and it could be cured (though that is currently incurable).

On an intersectional note I understand completely why the social model is being pushed. I'm also intersex and there is a similar issue there where there is a huge push to get rid of the medical model. I absolutely agree with that! Because the medical model is forced on us and is not a choice. But for those who still want or need treatment (and a lot of us do need constant medical treatment) that should be available more easily and be up to us to decide and have an opinion on, which is not currently the case in many countries.

So I agree with you, both options are needed and people should be careful not to exclude those who actually require that there is more medical research and intervention etc done for them. But I assume that this is the backlash against the medical model being so prominent.

nightengalesknd November 1 2013, 23:40:50 UTC

I'm a huge social model proponent ( ... )