Training Outline

2.5 Standard Lecture: The Concept of Disability (20 minutes)

• Explain to participants that one of the biggest challenges to crafting effective disability non-discrimination legislation is defining disability. Explain to participants that prior to defining disability, policy makers must first understand the conditions that they are trying to eliminate or promote. Use Transparency 25 to help participants understand three possible conditions which might alter how disability is defined.
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  OPTIONAL EXERCISE (30 minutes): Begin this exercise by asking participants to think about a job they have had in the past that they disliked and from which they were either dismissed (fired) or which they quit. Have participants turn to their neighbor and take a minute each to explain to their partner what it was about the job that made them quit or get fired. Using a flipchart and markers, have participants share some of their reasons for quitting or being fired and record them. Next, have individuals identify a person (with or without a disability) that they have known or worked with in the past that was difficult – who regardless of what they did was just always failing, complaining, or not being successful. Have participants turn to their neighbor and take a minute each to describe to their partner what it was about the person that made him or her difficult, fail or be unsuccessful. Using a flipchart and markers, have participants share some of their reasons for quitting or being fired and record them. Post the two lists next to each other and ask participants to make observations about the lists. Immediately they should recognize that when they are talking about themselves they ascribe the problem to the environment but when they speak about others, the problem is always inherent to the person. This draws an exceptional contrast for launching into the next section on defining disability.
• Referencing the earlier discussion (or optional exercise if you opt for that) regarding the medical model and social model, explain again how two opposing views of disability can be distinguished. Situating the experience of disability within the person (medical model) can be particularly helpful in such fields as rehabilitation medicine and social security law, while situating the experience of disability within the culture or environment can be instrumental in tackling the root causes of exclusion, disadvantage, and discrimination. The social model recognizes that the answer to the question of whether a person can be classified as having a disability is intrinsically related to such factors as culture, time and environment.
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  OPTIONAL EXERCISE (45 minutes): Begin this exercise by again separating participants into three small groups. Using Transparency 25, assign each group one of the three goals highlighted. Ask each group to take some time to discuss the goals they have been assigned and to decide whether, given the goal, they are best positioned to use a medical model of disability or a social model. Give each group 20 minutes to brainstorm and make their case. Have each group assign a facilitator to keep them on track and a recorder to scribe their answers. Each group should also assign a reporter to summarize the group's response to the larger group.