The social model of Disability says that people are disabled by barriers in society, rather than their own disability, condition or impairment. Barriers can be physical, like buildings not having step-free access, or they can be caused by people’s attitudes to difference, like assuming Disabled people can’t do certain things
The social model encourages us to consider what barriers might exist for a Disabled person in our workplace or production and find solutions to remove them, rather than the focus on what is ‘wrong’ with an individual. Use the social model when hiring and working with Disabled talent to put adjustments in place for applications, interviews and on the job.
You can find out more about the social model of disability at the Scope website.