Final answer:
The moral model of disability viewed it as a personal failing or lack of moral strength, contributing to stigmatization and discrimination against individuals with disabilities. Today's understanding shifts focus towards the social and environmental factors that contribute to disability, promoting fairness and opportunity for all regardless of disabilities.
Step-by-step explanation:
The moral model of disability viewed disability as a result of personal failing or a lack of moral fortitude. This outdated view considered disabilities, including physical and mental impairments, as a sign of moral weakness or punishment for wrongdoing. It perpetuated stigmatization, leading to discrimination and often denying individuals the full identity they deserve, echoed in terms like “the blind girl” or “the boy in the wheelchair”.
The moral model's view of disability as a moral failing meant that reformers, often driven by religious or charitable motivations, aimed to provide a 'moral uplift' to improve the lives of those with disabilities. This approach, however, overlooked the structural and societal factors that contribute to disability and its management, such as economic conditions, dangerous working conditions, and access to healthcare.
Modern perspectives on disability focus more on social and environmental factors that contribute to disability, advocating for demedicalization and recognizing disability as a social limitation rather than just a physical or mental impairment, as defined by the World Health Organization. This shift from the moral model to an understanding that emphasizes fairness, access, and opportunity calls for increased visibility and community education about the experiences of individuals with disabilities.