Getting to Disability Justice: A Critical Conceptual Review of Disability Models in U.S. Social Work

Authors

Kathryn M. Wright, Wayne State UniversityFollow

Keywords

Disability theory, models of disability, disability justice, social work, critical conceptual review

Abstract

In 1983, scholar Mike Oliver coined the term the “social model of disability.” While the medical model presents disability as an inherent, immutable, and pathological defect, the social model suggests that disability emerges from external and social barriers (Oliver, 1983). Little research within social work has engaged with sociocultural paradigms of disability and how they might impact social work practice. American social workers generally approach disability as a biological category and an obvious deficit. This paper draws attention to the need to analyze the category of disability through social and cultural lenses in social work research and practice. Via a critical conceptual review, I examine how U.S.-based social work researchers conceptualize disability. I review literature published between 2005 and 2020 to determine if disability was defined conceptually, whether through a model of disability or some other paradigm. I conclude with suggestions for centering disability justice in social service provision and research.

Recommended Citation

Wright, Kathryn M. (2024) "Getting to Disability Justice: A Critical Conceptual Review of Disability Models in U.S. Social Work," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 51: Iss. 1, Article 4.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15453/0191-5096.4723
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol51/iss1/4