Disability and dependency used to be directly associated with each other to which if one could not take care of themselves due to a mental, physical, or developmental illness [that was not medically treatable], they were essentially considered to be disabled. With the establishment of specialized institutions, they aimed to help individuals with disabilities to become more independent. 

University of Rochester

This model is considered to be a more nuanced approach of the social/political view of disability studies, ranging from medical to socio-political views. It explored disabilities as the interaction with the societies around them, as it was believed that one's disability is a product of the environment and bodily factors.

Cultural Model View of Disabilities

Francisco, Marian Patricia Bea; Maria Hartman, and Ye Wang. (2020). Inclusion and Special Education. Education Science. 2020, 10, 238. doi:10.3390/educsci10090238 

Inclusion and Special Education Reference

Attitudes toward deafness can be divided into two groups: the clinical and the cultural model.

1) The Clinical Model: Deafness is viewed as a handicap, a medical condition, or a deficiency. Deafness is viewed as something needing to be fixed, through such means as hearing aids and cochlear implants.

2) The Cultural Model: People with hearing difficulties are viewed as a linguistic and cultural minority group within a hearing society, marked by difference rather than limitation.

Attitudes Toward Deafness/ Two Conflicting Models

- Important Books in the Cultural View of Disabilities


Important Literature in the Cultural Model of Disabilities

Association Between Disability and Dependency

Adopting a socio-cultural view of disabilities through a cross-cultural lens involves analyzing different cultures' treatments and attitudes of people with disabilities and how these connect to inclusive education and available educational opportunities. A cross-cultural analysis expands what people know about cultures and societies outside their own. This allows people to compare and find similarities in different policies and treatments, which can have implications towards international understanding of and action addressing disabilities and inclusive education.

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