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You Disable Me!
This is one of the most empowering models I’ve found to view not only mental health but disability. It is called the Social Model of Disability (SMD, mix them up and you get DSM WHOA!) and I’m so pissed that I was never taught it while in school for social work! I didn’t learn about SMD until I began working with The Madvocates (follow on Twitter @TheMadvocates) and it became one of the base theories for our research.
SMD is beautiful and I feel a no brainer: Society makes disability disabling by creating a disabling world. Meaning that if society broke down the barriers facing those with physical, mental and intellectual disabilities the whole notion of someone being disabled could be erased! SMD also recognizes the important role society plays in creating the difficulties faced by those with disabilities and does not blame the individual.
Not enough people know about this model! In my 4th and final year of university I took a sociology course that looked at social inequalities in film. I brought up SMD during a class where we were looking at disability. My brilliant professor hadn’t even heard of SMD!
If there isn’t a ramp into a building, if there isn’t braille on a sign, if there aren’t chirps at crosswalks then we are forcing the individuals who need these aids to remain in their homes and not participate in society despite their capabilities to do so if the aids were in place! We are disabling them!
The same goes for mental illness. I have taken to saying in the past few years that I have no problem with having borderline personality disorder, it’s everyone else that does. I can only do so much in my life if society is pushing down on me.
We all need to recognize our roles in making life difficult for those with disabilities but more importantly our roles in making life better. We have so much to offer that can make life easier that to withhold that and blame it on the disability is outrageous! Everyone has a right to reach their full potential by whatever means is necessary.
It’s about speaking and listening to the needs of others AND THEN DOING WHAT IS NEEDED!!
