Course outline
Module 1
Module 1: Models of Disability
Models of Disability
Knowledge check
Q1. Which model of disability locates the 'problem' within the individual's impairment and treats disability as a personal tragedy requiring medical intervention?
- A. The social model of disability
- B. The medical model of disability ✓
- C. The affirmative model of disability
- D. The human rights model of disability
Why: The medical model views disability as a direct result of an individual's impairment or health condition, framing it as something to be treated, cured, or managed by medical professionals. The problem is located within the person rather than in society.
Q2. The social model of disability, developed by activists in the UK in the 1970s, distinguishes between which two concepts?
- A. Acute and chronic conditions
- B. Impairment and disability ✓
- C. Physical and cognitive disability
- D. Visible and invisible disability
Why: The social model separates 'impairment' (the bodily or cognitive difference a person has) from 'disability' (the barriers created by society that exclude people with impairments). This distinction shifts attention from the individual to environmental and social barriers.
Q3. Which statement best reflects a key criticism of the medical model of disability?
- A. It focuses too much on the rights of disabled people.
- B. It places responsibility for disability on the individual and can overlook discrimination and inaccessible environments. ✓
- C. It has no practical application in healthcare settings.
- D. It argues that disability should be celebrated as a cultural identity.
Why: Critics argue the medical model individualises disability, positioning people as needing fixing rather than recognising how social structures, attitudes, and physical environments create exclusion. This critique is central to the development of the social model.
Q4. Under the social model, which of the following is an example of a disabling barrier?
- A. A person's need for regular medication
- B. A building that has stairs but no lift or ramp ✓
- C. A person's difficulty concentrating due to ADHD
- D. A person's reduced mobility after a car accident
Why: The social model identifies disability as caused by environmental and social barriers. A building with stairs but no alternative access excludes wheelchair users regardless of their impairment, making it a clear example of a disabling barrier.
Q5. Which model emphasises disabled people's rights, dignity, and full participation in society, and is reflected in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006)?
- A. The charity model
- B. The medical model
- C. The human rights model ✓
- D. The eugenic model
Why: The human rights model frames disability within a rights-based framework, stressing equality, non-discrimination, and inclusion. The UN CRPD (2006) embodies this approach, moving beyond viewing disabled people as passive recipients of care.
Module 2
Module 2: Disability History and Social Change
Disability History and Social Change
Knowledge check
Q1. Which model of disability locates the 'problem' primarily within the individual's impairment and medical condition?
- A. The social model of disability
- B. The medical model of disability ✓
- C. The human rights model of disability
- D. The relational model of disability
Why: The medical model frames disability as a health problem residing in the individual, to be treated, cured, or managed by medical professionals. The social model, by contrast, locates disadvantage in the barriers society creates.
Q2. Which phrase is most associated with the disability rights slogan that emerged from the 1990s disability movement and was used in the drafting of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities?
- A. Nothing about us without us ✓
- B. Equal pay for equal work
- C. Separate but equal
- D. Care before cure
Why: 'Nothing about us without us' expresses the principle that persons with disabilities must be directly involved in decisions affecting them. It became a central demand of the disability movement and was prominent during the CRPD negotiations.
Q3. The Disability Rights Movement in the United States gained major legislative success with which federal law, signed in 1990?
- A. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- B. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1975
- C. The Americans with Disabilities Act ✓
- D. The Fair Housing Act of 1968
Why: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed in 1990, prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, public services, public accommodations, and telecommunications. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was an earlier step but was narrower in scope.
Q4. Which historical practice, widely used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, involved the forced sterilization of people deemed 'unfit' based on disability and other characteristics?
- A. Deinstitutionalization
- B. Eugenics ✓
- C. Mainstreaming
- D. Universal design
Why: Eugenics movements promoted policies such as forced sterilization and restrictive marriage laws targeting people with disabilities and others considered undesirable. The US Supreme Court upheld such a sterilization law in Buck v. Bell (1927).
Q5. The slogan 'Disability is a natural part of human diversity' is most closely associated with which broader perspective?
- A. The medical model, which seeks to eliminate impairment
- B. The charity model, which emphasizes dependence on donors
- C. The neurodiversity and social perspectives, which reframe disability as variation rather than deficit ✓
- D. The eugenic model, which seeks to prevent disability through selection
Why: Framing disability as natural human diversity reflects social and neurodiversity perspectives, which challenge deficit-based views and emphasize that societal barriers, rather than difference itself, create disadvantage.
Module 3
Module 3: Identity, Culture and the Disability Community
Identity, Culture and the Disability Community
Knowledge check
Q1. Which term describes the approach that views disability primarily as a result of barriers in society rather than as an individual's impairment alone?
- A. The medical model
- B. The social model ✓
- C. The charity model
- D. The biographical model
Why: The social model of disability, developed by disabled activists in the UK in the 1970s, locates disability in environmental and attitudinal barriers that exclude people with impairments, rather than in the impairment itself.
Q2. What does the phrase 'Nothing About Us Without Us' signify within the disability community?
- A. A demand that disabled people be consulted and included in decisions that affect them ✓
- B. A rejection of all medical treatment for impairments
- C. A call for separate disability-only institutions
- D. A slogan opposing disability benefits
Why: Popularized by disability rights movements, this phrase expresses the principle that policies and programs affecting disabled people must be designed with their direct participation.
Q3. Which of the following best describes the concept of 'disability identity'?
- A. A medical diagnosis recorded in a patient's file
- B. A sense of self and belonging that some disabled people develop in connection with a shared experience of disability and community ✓
- C. A legal status determined by a government assessment
- D. The specific type of impairment a person has
Why: Disability identity refers to the personal and collective sense of belonging and pride that some disabled people develop, often through community, shared experience, and advocacy, rather than through diagnosis or legal classification alone.
Q4. What is meant by the term 'Deaf culture' with a capital 'D'?
- A. Deafness understood as a medical condition requiring cure
- B. A distinct cultural and linguistic community, often using sign language, that views deafness as a shared identity rather than a deficit ✓
- C. Any group of people who are hard of hearing
- D. A historical period when deaf people were excluded from education
Why: The capital 'D' in 'Deaf' signals cultural identity, distinguishing members of a linguistic community (typically sign language users) from the audiological condition of deafness, which is written with a lowercase 'd'.
Q5. Why do many disability rights advocates emphasize intersectionality?
- A. Because disability experiences are shaped by overlapping factors such as race, gender, class, and sexuality, not disability alone ✓
- B. Because intersectionality refers only to physical access to buildings
- C. Because disabled people should be grouped together regardless of other identities
- D. Because intersectionality replaces the need for legal rights
Why: Intersectionality recognizes that people hold multiple identities simultaneously, and that these intersect to shape distinct experiences of discrimination and privilege, meaning a disabled woman of colour may face barriers different from those faced by a disabled white man.
Module 4
Module 4: Language, Representation and the Media
Language, Representation and the Media
Knowledge check
Q1. Which term is most commonly preferred by disabled activists in the UK when describing themselves, reflecting the social model of disability?
- A. People with special needs
- B. Disabled people ✓
- C. Handicapped people
- D. Persons suffering from disability
Why: The 'disabled people' (identity-first) phrasing reflects the social model, which locates disability in barriers created by society rather than in the individual's impairment. Many UK disability activists prefer this term over person-first language, which can imply disability is separate from identity.
Q2. What is the 'inspiration porn' critique in disability representation in the media?
- A. Documentaries that fundraise for disability charities
- B. Portrayals of disabled people as inspirational simply for living their everyday lives
- C. Adverts that feature disabled models to sell fitness products
- D. Films that use disabled actors in leading roles
Q3. Which of the following best describes the 'medical model' of disability?
- A. Disability is caused by social barriers and inaccessible environments
- B. Disability is an individual problem caused by impairment, to be treated or fixed ✓
- C. Disability is a cultural identity that should be celebrated
- D. Disability is defined entirely by legal eligibility for benefits
Why: The medical model frames disability as a deficit located within the individual, which medical intervention should correct or manage. It contrasts with the social model, which locates disabling barriers in society.
Q4. Why do many disability advocates object to the use of phrases such as 'suffers from' or 'confined to a wheelchair' in media coverage?
- A. They are grammatically incorrect
- B. They imply disabled people are passive victims and the wheelchair is a prison rather than a mobility aid ✓
- C. They are too technical for general audiences
- D. They refer to outdated legal categories
Why: Phrases like 'suffers from' and 'confined to a wheelchair' cast disabled people as pitiable and dependent, and frame assistive devices negatively. Advocates prefer neutral language that treats the wheelchair as a tool enabling mobility and that does not presume a life of suffering.
Q5. Which principle should guide accurate and respectful representation of disabled people in the media?
- A. Nothing about disability should be mentioned unless it is the main story
- B. Disabled people should be consulted and represented as complex individuals rather than as symbols or case studies ✓
- C. Disability should always be hidden to avoid stigma
- D. Only non-disabled writers should cover disability issues to ensure objectivity
Why: Accurate representation involves including disabled people's own voices and portraying them as full, complex individuals with varied lives, opinions, and identities, rather than reducing them to a symbol of tragedy, heroism, or a lesson for non-disabled audiences.
Module 5
Module 5: Disability Rights and the Law
Disability Rights and the Law
Knowledge check
Q1. Which international treaty, adopted by the United Nations in 2006, is the primary human rights instrument specifically protecting the rights of persons with disabilities?
- A. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- B. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) ✓
- C. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
- D. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
Why: The CRPD, adopted in 2006 and entering into force in 2008, is the first comprehensive human rights treaty dedicated specifically to persons with disabilities. It shifts the framing from charity and welfare toward rights, dignity, and equal participation.
Q2. Which model of disability views the problem as located in the individual's impairment and seeks to fix or cure the person?
- A. The social model of disability
- B. The rights-based model of disability
- C. The medical model of disability ✓
- D. The cultural model of disability
Why: The medical model locates disability within the individual's body or mind, treating it as a deficit to be diagnosed, treated, or cured. The social model, by contrast, argues that barriers in society disable people with impairments.
Q3. What is the term for the legal principle requiring employers and service providers to make changes so that people with disabilities can access jobs, services, and environments on an equal basis with others?
- A. Affirmative action
- B. Reasonable accommodation ✓
- C. Universal suffrage
- D. Distributive justice
Why: Reasonable accommodation refers to necessary and appropriate modifications that do not impose a disproportionate or undue burden. Failure to provide it is recognized in many legal systems, including the CRPD, as a form of discrimination.
Q4. In the United States, which landmark 1990 law prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, public services, public accommodations, and telecommunications?
- A. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- B. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
- C. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ✓
- D. The Fair Housing Amendments Act
Why: The Americans with Disabilities Act, signed into law in 1990, is a comprehensive civil rights law extending protections against disability discrimination across major areas of public life, building on earlier legislation such as the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Q5. What does the principle 'Nothing About Us Without Us' emphasize in disability rights law and policy?
- A. That disability policies should be designed only by medical professionals
- B. That people with disabilities must be directly involved in decisions that affect their lives ✓
- C. That disabled persons should be excluded from political participation for their own protection
- D. That governments should fund disability services without consulting advocates
Why: The slogan reflects the disability rights movement's core demand for meaningful participation. The CRPD incorporates this principle through its requirement that states consult with and actively involve persons with disabilities, including through their representative organizations, in developing laws and policies.
Module 6
Module 6: Accessibility, Design and Inclusion
Accessibility, Design and Inclusion
Knowledge check
Q1. What is the core principle of universal design?
- A. Designing separate products for each disability group
- B. Designing environments and products usable by the widest range of people without the need for adaptation ✓
- C. Adding accessibility features only after a product has been launched
- D. Creating specialised versions of buildings for disabled people only
Why: Universal design aims to make environments, products and services usable by as many people as possible, including disabled people, without requiring later adaptation or segregated alternatives.
Q2. Which of the following is an example of a curb cut (dropped kerb)?
- A. A ramp built into the pavement where a sidewalk meets a road ✓
- B. A bollard that blocks vehicles from entering a pedestrian zone
- C. A raised strip of tactile paving at a station platform edge
- D. A handrail installed alongside a staircase
Why: A curb cut is a sloped ramp at the edge of a pavement that lets wheelchair users and people with mobility aids move between the sidewalk and the road. It was a classic example of an accessibility feature that benefits many people, such as parents with pushchairs.
Q3. What is the main difference between the social model and the medical model of disability?
- A. The social model treats disability as a personal health condition to be cured
- B. The medical model locates the problem in barriers created by society
- C. The social model locates disability in barriers created by society rather than in the individual's impairment ✓
- D. The medical model argues that disability has no connection to impairment
Why: The social model holds that people are disabled by barriers such as inaccessible buildings and attitudes, rather than by their impairments alone. The medical model focuses on the individual's condition and seeks to treat or fix it.
Q4. Which accessibility feature is primarily designed for blind and partially sighted people?
- A. Closed captions on video content
- B. Tactile paving with raised bumps and grooves ✓
- C. Lever-style door handles
- D. Wide corridors for wheelchair turning
Why: Tactile paving uses textured surfaces underfoot to warn blind and partially sighted people of hazards such as crossings or platform edges. Closed captions mainly serve deaf and hard-of-hearing users, while lever handles and wide corridors mainly help people with mobility impairments.
Q5. What does the principle 'Nothing about us without us' emphasise in disability rights?
- A. That disabled people should be excluded from policy decisions to protect them
- B. That disabled people must be meaningfully involved in decisions that affect their lives ✓
- C. That only medical professionals should design services for disabled people
- D. That disability policy should be written solely by government officials
Why: The slogan 'Nothing about us without us' is a call for disabled people to lead and participate directly in the design of policies, services and environments that affect them, rather than having decisions made on their behalf.
Module 7
Module 7: Disability Activism and the Future of Rights
Disability Activism and the Future of Rights
Knowledge check
Q1. Which slogan, popularised by the disability rights movement, captures the principle that disabled people should be involved in decisions that affect them?
- A. Nothing about us without us ✓
- B. Equal pay for equal work
- C. Access for all, always
- D. Care before rights
Why: 'Nothing about us without us' has been a central slogan of disability activism, emphasising that disabled people must lead and participate in policies and decisions that affect their lives, rather than having others decide on their behalf.
Q2. The social model of disability differs from the medical model primarily because it:
- A. Treats impairment as the main cause of disadvantage
- B. Locates disability in barriers within society rather than in the individual's body ✓
- C. Focuses on curing or preventing impairments
- D. Assumes disabled people cannot make their own decisions
Why: The social model, developed by disabled activists in the UK in the 1970s and 80s, argues that disability is created by social, environmental and attitudinal barriers. The medical model instead locates the problem within the individual's impairment.
Q3. Which international treaty, adopted by the United Nations in 2006, established a comprehensive framework of disability rights?
- A. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- B. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities ✓
- C. The Geneva Conventions
- D. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
Why: The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), adopted in 2006 and entering into force in 2008, is the key international human rights instrument for disabled people, shifting the approach from charity and welfare to rights.
Q4. Which activist action, associated with disability rights in the United States, involved disabled protesters leaving their wheelchairs and crawling up the steps of the Capitol in 2013?
- A. The Capitol Crawl ✓
- B. The Wheelchair March
- C. The Access Rally
- D. The Step Protest
Why: The Capitol Crawl of 2013 saw disabled activists crawl up the steps of the US Capitol building to demand passage of the ADA Restoration Act, drawing attention to inaccessible infrastructure and the need for stronger legal protections.
Q5. Which phrase describes the principle of making products, services and environments usable by as many people as possible without the need for later adaptation?
- A. Reasonable accommodation
- B. Positive discrimination
- C. Universal design ✓
- D. Assistive segregation
Why: Universal design aims to create environments and products usable by all people to the greatest extent possible, such as step-free entrances or captioned video, benefiting disabled people and others alike without requiring special adaptation.