for Disability Studies A Comment on the Social Model(s)

Almost all writers in the field of disability studies in English speaking countries and those writers in non-English speaking countries who publish in English describe the Social Model of disability as universally accepted and treat it as if there were only one version. However, there are at least two Social Model versions to be found in research and analytical writings in English. These two models and at least seven others are all versions of the disability paradigm. (Pfeiffer, 2001) Although a distinction can be made between "model " and "paradigm, " they are considered synonymous for this essay. One distinct version of the Social Model is the crypto Marxist version found primarily in the United Kingdom, but used in other countries. It states that the organization of society produces discrimination experienced by people with disabilities. (In the United Kingdom the term disabled perso