Symposium on “Integrating the Medical and Social Models of Disability: Time for a New Paradigm

Symposium on “Integrating the Medical and Social Models of Disability: Time for a New Paradigm 15th June, 2013

Indian Spinal Injury Centre (ISIC) and Cross the Hurdles (CTH) are jointly hosting a one-day symposium on Integrating the Medical and Social Models of Disability: Time for a New Paradigm” on Saturday, 15th June, 2013 at ISIC, New Delhi.

Following is the list of speakers and their topics:

1.      Dr A K Mukherjee, ISIC- Defining Disability in 21st Century

2.      Dr. Poonam K Singh, Advisor (International Health) MOHFW, GOI- Keynote address
3.   Dr S Y Kothari, ISIC- Current approach towards disability

4.      Shivani Gupta, AccessAbility- Barriers accentuating disabling conditions
5.   Dr Satendra Singh, UCMS - Embracing the Social Model: The UCMS experience
6.   Dr. Uma Tuli, Amar Jyoti - Successful model of social & medical inclusion: a case study
7.      Maj. DP Singh - Advocacy efforts in rehabilitation

8.      Abha Khetarpal, CTH - Promoting Disability Studies in Healthcare

9.   Dr. H. S. Chhabra, ISIC - Integrating the Medical and Social Models of Disability: Time for a New Paradigm

10. Panel discussion: Consumer perspective

Concept Note of the Symposium

Disability studies provide nuanced ways of thinking about disease, medical ethics, and social justice in health care. It plays the role of a cultural studies field that bridges interdisciplinary academic scholarship, medicine, and patient activism along with fostering collaboration among disciplines and between the common man and the professionals.

Medical models of health care often overlook the social dimensions of health and health care. Disability studies, on the other hand, contrasts the biological model with a social model. It lays stress on finding how much can the suffering of different bodies be relieved through the adjustment, not of biological variables, but of social variables. It unpacks the role of ableism, pathologization, individualization, isolation, confinement, and lack of access in producing human suffering.

The Medical Model of disability perceives disability as a functional impairment. An integrative, biopsychosocial approach towards disability by collaborating health care and Disability Studies is required for mainstreaming of disability in an inclusive developmental agenda. Disability Studies encourages perspectives that place disability in social, cultural, and political contexts.

Available opportunities to learn about disability and rehabilitation must therefore be strengthened by ensuring that the society acquires not only the specific knowledge and skills, but also the attitudes required to provide effective service to persons with disability. Collaboration between health care professionals, university academics, persons with disability, and disability interest groups may help in ensuring that everyone is adequately sensitised to issues about disability. Disability studies, if introduced in various fields of education, especially medical education can offer an explicit commitment to assist disabled people in their fight for full equality and social inclusion. Thus a successful integration between Medical and Social Models of disability would be brought about.