Moral Model of Disability

A historical framework that attributes disability to moral failing, divine punishment, or supernatural causes such as curses or sins. Under this model, disability is viewed as a consequence of wrongdoing by the individual or their family, leading to shame, social exclusion, and the belief that disability is deserved. While largely rejected in contemporary Western disability studies, the moral model persists in many communities globally, particularly in parts of the Global South, where it significantly shapes attitudes toward people with disabilities and influences their access to support and services.