Impact of the Disability Rights Movement and Legislation on Educational Programmes and Buildings

Abstract

There are different definitions of disability, but two main models emerged in the twentieth century, namely the medical model and the social model. The medical model considers disability to be a problem of the individual that requires treatment; this view has had implications for the services and facilities, including the built environment, that are provided for such individuals. The social model emphasises that the problems that arise as a result of disability need to be addressed by society. This model aims to eliminate the barriers that people with disabilities encounter in their daily lives in terms of gaining access to buildings, products, services and information on an equal basis with non-disabled people. The wide range of disabilities, for example, visual impairments, hearing impairments, physical disability arising from illness or accident, learning difficulties and autism, inevitably, gives rise to a variety of needs. From the middle of the twentieth century the disability rights movement in Britain has brought about a change in attitudes, and a range of legislation in the UK, as well as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Disabled, have reflected this change. There is much greater emphasis now on inclusive education and this has implications for the built environment in educational institutions.