When we talk about disability, how we understand it shapes the way we respond to it—whether as individuals, communities, or systems. Two key models influence this understanding: the medical model and the social model of disability.

While the medical model focuses on diagnosing and treating an individual's impairment, the social model highlights how societal barriers—not the person’s condition—are what truly disable people. Both models offer valuable perspectives, and when used together, they can provide a more holistic, empowering approach to support and inclusion.

In Australia, this balance is especially important in systems like the NDIS and mainstream healthcare, where each model plays a distinct but complementary role. In this post, we’ll explore what each model means, how they differ, how they work together, and why understanding both is essential to building a truly inclusive society.

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Unpacking each model

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Medical Model of Disability

• Focus: Disability is seen as a problem within the person—something that needs to be treated, fixed, or cured.
• Responsibility: Healthcare professionals take the lead in diagnosis, treatment, and decision-making.
• Goal: Restore or improve the individual's physical or mental functioning.
• Environment: Often overlooks the role of social or environmental barriers.
• Example: A person with a mobility impairment is viewed as disabled because they cannot walk without aid.

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Social Model of Disability

• Focus: Disability is seen as a social construct, resulting from barriers in society rather than the individual’s impairment.
• Responsibility: Society is responsible for removing barriers—physical, attitudinal, and systemic.
• Goal: Promote inclusion, accessibility, and equal participation.
• Environment: Emphasises changing the world around the person, not the person themselves.
• Example: A person with a mobility impairment is viewed as disabled because buildings lack ramps or lifts.

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So, how does each model compliment the other?

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While the medical model helps by providing treatment, therapy, and diagnosis (which are often essential), it can unintentionally reinforce dependence and passivity if used in isolation.

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The social model empowers individuals by promoting independence and advocating for inclusive design and attitudes, but it doesn’t negate the need for medical support.

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Together, they offer a holistic approach, where the medical model serves to support health and wellbeing, while the social model concurrently supports inclusion and equity.

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In the Context of the NDIS and Mainstream Healthcare

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NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme)

• Largely influenced by the social model.
• Focuses on choice, control, and functional capacity, not diagnosis.
• Funding is tailored to remove barriers to participation—e.g. assistive technology, support coordination, community access.
• Encourages community inclusion, employment, and independent living.
• While the NDIS may require medical assessments to access the scheme (e.g. proving a permanent disability), once approved, the focus shifts from "what’s wrong" to "what supports are needed."

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Mainstream Healthcare

• Predominantly based on the medical model.
• Addresses the clinical aspects of disability—diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation.
• Plays a vital role in supporting functional health, especially for people with complex needs.
• Sometimes criticized for focusing too much on impairment and not enough on access, autonomy, or lived experience.

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How we can best serve those who need extra support?

The NDIS and healthcare systems need to work together — health supports the body & condition, while NDIS supports participation & inclusion.

‍Support Coordinators, Support Workers, Managers, advocates, and health professionals should aim to bridge the gap—ensuring people receive necessary medical care without losing autonomy, and that environments and attitudes are inclusive and empowering.

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Having training and development opportunities across sub-sectors, attending interagency alliances and establishing educator roles within both the health and NDIS sector are real examples of practical efforts that can be taken to help the broader workforce appreciate both models.

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The more people who understand these two models and can grasp how they can exist in harmony, the stronger our collaborative efforts become in providing effective care where, across both models, we can generate more impactful and lasting change for those in need.

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