A New Definition of Disability: Implications for Rehabilitation Practice and Social Policy

Abstract

Until the 1970s, individual physical, be-haviourial and vocational limitations were seen as the main difficulties preventing people with disabilities from participating fully in society. Rehabilitation professionals concentrated on improving functional abilities of disabled clients and the main policy approaches were income maintenance and vocational rehabilitation. In the 1970s, the individualistic conception of disability was challenged by a socio-political definition. The socio-political model implies that improvement in the status of persons with disabilities requires alterations in the social environment as well as changes in individual functional abilities. This paper examines the extent to which disability policies and rehabilitation practice have changed to embrace this new definition. There has been some progress in policies related to shelter and transportation but little progress in the areas of employment and income maintenance. Rehabilitation professionals still have a largely clinical or individualistic ideology and focus very little on improving the circumstances of disabled people through changes in laws or social policies. They should be less willing to accept individual explanations for problems which are, essentially, economic, social or political and become more involved in advocacy with persons with disabilities.