Health - The Biomedical Model of Disability

Best (2005) defines disability as: a persons inability to fully participate in various activities activities that the rest of us take for granted.

Disabled people have a physical or mental impairment that means they can't operate 'normally'. This perception starts from the assumption that there is a 'normal' body and a 'normal' range of activities associated with it.

The Biomedical model looks at the disability in the following ways:

• The disabled are dependent on the able bodied and are unable to fuction effectively without constant help.
• There are few medical cures for disability.
• Disability is a personal tragedy and the disabled deserve our pity and charity.
• Disabled people can only have a 'normal' life if they have round-the-clock care.