These two approaches view disability studies in very different ways 
- Disability studies aims to help individuals with disabilities attain social inclusion
- Medical sociologists working on disability issues aim to form and influence policy and policy makers

University of Virginia, Charlottesville

Scholars would argue there are two main approaches to defining disability

- The first approach is the idea that disability is created through social inequality, oppression, and exclusion (often called disability studies)
- The other, a sub-category called the ‘sociology of chronic illness and disability’, is the idea that disability is a result of illness and impairment which then leads to suffering and social disadvantage (often used by people studying medical sociology)
- These differing approaches are not often used in conversation with one another and scholars tend to stick to their approach rather than combine aspects


 Defining Disability from a Sociological Perspective 

Thomas, C. (2004). How is disability understood? an examination of sociological approaches. Disability &amp; Society, 19(6), 569–583. https://doi.org/10.1080/0968759042000252506 

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