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Plain English definition

of

Social model of disability

from

Think Local Act Personal (TLAP) Jargon Buster

Source

What makes someone disabled is not their impairment or difference, but barriers in the world around them. These barriers may be physical, such as lack of access to a building or lack of suitable toilets. Barriers are also created by people's attitudes to disability, and their assumptions about what disabled people can and cannot do. Removing these barriers creates equality and enables people to have independence, choice and control over their lives.

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