The five different models of disability are the Religious-Moral, Biomedical, Functional,
Environmental, and the Sociopolitical models. The Religious-Moral model is where the
individual’s sin, wrongdoing, or their character weakness is defined as their disability. Treatment
in this model is based off religious practices, like prayers and repentance. Biomedical model
treatments consist of methods that concern with changing the individual. Functional model uses
interventions as a method of treatment, these are aimed to adapt the function of the individual. In
the Environmental model professionals are seeking to change both the physical and social
aspects of the individual. Finally, the Sociopolitical model deal with the civil rights and equal
social statuses.
The two models I will be focusing on are the Religious-Moral and the Sociopolitical
models. The Religious-Moral model was evolved by theories that hypothesize that religious
phenomena have evolved as human disabilities or that cultural phenomena due to them having an
adaptive significance during our biological evolution. It is the oldest model of disabilities and is
found in a number of religious traditions, such as the Judeo-Christian tradition. This model
blames those with disabilities for their own impairments. It also takes it out on their families by
shunning them from society.
The Sociopolitical model was evolved by those who are disabled. This describes people
who have disabilities by being disabled by the barriers in society not by their own impairments
or differences. It says that if modern life were to be set up in a way that was accessible for
disabled people, then they would not be excluded or restricted. While this model supports those
with disabilities, it blames the rest of society for making the world not easier for them. Nobody
in this world is perfect, so why try to fixate on fixing the rest of society when one can try to fix
the way society sees them by educating them.