Social Model of Disability

A framework that distinguishes between impairment (a physical, sensory, or cognitive difference) and disability (the social barriers and exclusion that result from society not accommodating that difference). Under this model, people are disabled by inaccessible environments, discriminatory attitudes, and exclusionary practices—not by their impairments. The social model shifts responsibility for accessibility from individuals to society and underpins modern disability rights movements, accessibility standards, and inclusive design approaches.