7 people walk into a room. The room is dimly lit, with spotlights on 7 high chairs. In the middle of the room is a mic.
Suddenly, the 7 people hear a voice, but no one can see where it's coming from. Let's call them the Narrator.
The Narrator asks, "What is a disability?"
The first person to respond says, "Disabilities are simply medical conditions that require specialized support from a medical professional. Disabilities should be cured, or at least interventions should be made to get people as close to a cure as possible." This is the Medical Model of Disability.
The second person interjects, saying, "Disabilities exist because of problems in the social, environmental, attitudinal, or organizational environment. The only reason we know what a disability is is because the world, and the environment at large, has refused to adapt to the wide range of human capabilities. In a perfect world, no one would be disabled." This is the Social Model of Disability.
The Medical Model replies to the Social Model and says, "Disabilities only exist because of a fundamental problem in a person's biology. Until that problem is fixed, they would remain disabled. It's incorrect to blame the world and not the person."
Right before the Social Model can reply, the third person speaks up and says, "I think you're both right. Disability is complex, and we need to cater to both the biological and social elements that shape it. Yes, there might be biological causes for disability, but the world, and the environment within it, has also contributed to disability as we know it." This is the Biopsychosocial Model of Disability.
The fourth person speaks up and asks, "What about the impact of disability on a person's ability to make money?" They continue, "I think disability is directly related to how individuals are able to work and earn income. Disabilities hurt not only the financial state of the person with a disability; they also affect employers and their ability to earn a good margin. On top of that, governments are, for lack of a better word, forced to provide for people with disabilities, and this directly impacts how much they're able to put back into the economy. In my opinion, disabilities are anything that directly affect the bottom line." This, if you didn't guess by now, is the Economic Model of Disability.
The fifth person speaks up and says, "I think the Medical Model is sort of right, but instead of focusing on the problems, we should focus on the solutions we could build. Think about it: many people are being held back from accessing digital resources, and we could build functional solutions to help them overcome those barriers." The Economic Model nods in agreement. The fifth person represents the Functional Solution Model of Disability.
There's a moment of silence in the room when the sixth person quietly speaks up. "It's bold of all of you to assume that having a disability is a bad thing. I personally have a disability, and I'm proud of it. In fact, having a disability has given me a community that understands me. I disagree with all of you because you're assuming there's a problem and trying to find a solution to something I don't believe is a problem at all. Any attempts to 'solve' my disability only alienate me further from my community and from society as a whole." The sixth person represents the Social Identity and Cultural Affiliation Model of Disability.
Before anyone can reply, the last person speaks up. "I disagree with you wholeheartedly. I think people with disabilities are in need of our help. I agree, in some ways, with the Medical Model, which says disabilities are an individual problem, and I also agree with the Economic Model, because there are real economic consequences to disability. Anyone who helps people with disabilities is a hero, and we should lend a helping hand as often as possible. They need it." The last speaker represents the Charity Model of Disability.
Suddenly, everyone starts talking at once. The Social, Biopsychosocial, Functional Solution, and Social Identity Models stand up and shout in dissent, while the Economic and Medical Models agree with the Charity Model to some extent.
The Narrator snaps their fingers. The room falls silent, and everyone finds themselves back in their seats.
The Narrator says, "Each of you explains disability from a different value system. Individually, you're only wrong when you believe that your model is all there is to disability. Our understanding of disability is increasingly complex, and each model has its place.
The Medical Model helps provide solutions for pain management, clearly defines biological causes, and can help mitigate the effects of permanent disabilities.
The Social Model considers external factors and clearly articulates that disability is produced by external barriers. Exclusion is a structural problem, designed around a perceived 'norm,' and mitigating it requires intentionally designing a world where everyone is included.
The Biopsychosocial Model recognizes that disability emerges from biological (medical), psychological (thoughts and emotions), and social factors. However, when everything is treated as equally important, politics come into play and prioritization becomes difficult.
The Economic Model justifies government support for people with disabilities based on economic impact rather than moral right. Occasionally, this results in programs being funded—but it can also mean programs lose funding when there is no economic justification for a person's disability.
The Functional Solution Model relies on the Medical and Social Models to identify what might be missing and provides solutions accordingly. However, it can be reductive, focusing on task completion rather than ensuring people are living satisfying, fully included lives.
The Social Identity Model encourages a sense of community among people with disabilities to reduce stigma. It also challenges ideas of 'normalcy' and reframes disability as identity rather than human deficit.
Lastly, the Charity Model encourages society to look out for one another. In practice, however, it centers the moral satisfaction of the giver and places people with disabilities in a passive role, where they appear to have little control."
The End.
Author's Note
This piece was written primarily as a thinking exercise, as I study for the CPACC.
The models presented here are not meant to be moral positions or personal beliefs, but lenses through which disability is viewed. Each lens is shaped by different assumptions about what disability is, where it comes from, and what society should do about it.
No single model fully explains disability on its own. Most harm occurs when one model dominates decision-making without acknowledging its limits.
If you're studying for the CPACC, this story is intended to help you:
- differentiate between models more clearly,
- understand the strengths and limits of each model,
- and recognize how these models show up in real-world decisions across healthcare, policy, design, technology, and economics.
The goal is not to choose a "correct" model, but to learn when each model is being applied, why, and with what consequences.