What Makes Ability = Disability?

“If everyone was taught sign language at an early age a deaf person would no longer be disadvantaged. If towns were built and planned with physical disabilities in mind and there was no social stigma attached to looking or sounding different then having a physical impairment would no longer be disabling.”

While the medical model of disability theory views disability as a problem that needs to be “fixed” or “cured”, the social model grew out of the disability civil rights movement and believes that one’s obstacles are not what makes someone “disabled.” Additionally, it is the inaccessibility of society, such as the lack of elevators, ramps, and adequate transportation, that makes one’s ability a disability.

What makes ability = disability?  

The cost of transportation: 

Wheelchair accessible vans are immensely expensive. A conversion (in addition to the cost of the vehicle), including ramp, kneeling hydraulics, lowered floor, and other equipment, is anywhere from $20,000 to $40,000, though advanced technology can cost upwards of $150,000. While you can currently find converted wheelchair vans for $30,000, you’re looking at a 2000-2010 model, with around 100,000 miles or more. This comes with more maintenance and the potential that a needed repair part is no longer available on the market. 

Income:

According to 2021 data, 25% of people with disabilities are living at the poverty line, compared to 11.8% of people without disabilities. In 2022, if someone who had never worked or had limited work experience received a social security disability benefit (typically SSI), they did not receive more than $1,000 per month or $12,000 per year, when the poverty line for one person was $13,590 per year. While someone can supplement their income, eligibility will end if they participate in “substantial gainful activity.” In 2023, this means earning more than $1,470 a month (or $2,460 if you are blind). 

Air Travel: 

A few years ago, American Airlines abruptly changed the weight restriction for power wheelchairs on domestic flights to 300-400 lbs depending on the jet model. Although they adjusted the policy after many were outraged, the damage still persists. United Airlines, too, indicates that a “wheelchair under 250 pounds can be stored in cargo on most planes. However, if [the] chair weighs more than this [they] might not be able to fly it depending on the type and size of plane you’re on.”

Other important issues include access to marriage equality, reproductive rights, affordable healthcare, art, and the list goes on.

The barriers are endless.