Creating Accessible Teaching and Support

Disability is not so much an attribute of the individual as of the social and physical environment in which he or she lives. The nature of the disability experienced by the individual can be moderated when environments and practices are designed to be inclusive.  As Alison Davis, a person who has Spina Bifida, writes:

If I lived in a society where being in a wheelchair was no more remarkable than wearing glasses, and if the community was completely accepting and accessible, my disability would be an inconvenience and not much more than that.  It is society which handicaps me far more seriously and completely than the fact that I have spina bifida.

Although there is little that staff in universities can do to change the facts of students' impairments, there is much scope for altering the environment so that it is less disabling. By implementing the strategies in this resource we can minimise the extent to which universities disable students.

For many years, the medical model has been the dominant approach to disability. This model locates the "problem" of disability in the deviant body of the individual, rather than in society itself or in the way the deviant body is perceived. The social model challenges this, suggesting that although people have impairments, the extent and nature of the disability they experience will be the result of the degree to which society supports their social, economic and cultural participation.

For example, a person with a vision impairment who uses a cane to aid their mobility will be completely independent if the physical environment is accessible, the teaching practices are inclusive and assistive technology is available.  If this is not the case, he or she will be significantly disabled and may require costly personal assistance. 

Some disability studies scholars argue for a more interactional and relational understanding, which views disability as the result of the interplay between the individual and contextual factors. 

The impact of society's structures may be greater for those with disability.  For instance the inaccessibility of transport has a differential impact on the lives of people with disability as they are less likely to use private car. A recent study found that 23% of people with disability actively seeking employment had turned down a job offer and 20% found it difficult or impossible to get the healthcare they needed because of inaccessible transport.

As noted in a recent blog, these contrasting approaches to understanding disability are often reflected in the media. In commenting on problems with transition into high school, a New York Times article firmly grounded in the medical model recommends psychotherapy and medication, along with moving the student out of the "standard" school. A Guardian article, following a more inclusive approach, suggests re-training teachers and redesigning school buildings to address the same issue.

The World Health Organisation's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) defines disability as a complex interaction between body structures and functions, health issues, and environmental and personal factors which affect the participation of people in activities.  According to this model, restriction of participation in activities is central to disability, placing emphasis on impact rather than cause. Disability can therefore occur to a greater or lesser extent, depending on the fluctuating nature of certain factors.

This model acknowledges that every human being can experience a decrement in health and thereby experience some degree of disability. Disability is not something that only happens to a minority of humanity. The ICF thus ‘mainstreams’ the experience of disability and recognises it as a universal human experience.

Furthermore ICF takes into account the social aspects of disability and does not see disability only as a 'medical' or 'biological' dysfunction. By including contextual factors, the ICF acknowledges the impact of the environment on the person's functioning.