The social disability model and its impact on theory and practice in psychology and rehabilitation

Abstract

This paper represents a review of genesis and basic assertions of the social disability model (SDM) and its impact on theory and practice in psychology and rehabilitation. With its view on disability as a form of oppression, SDM is focused on changing society. The developmental pathway from the earliest radical forms of the SDM to the recent more neutral orientation is shown. The study then turns to the changes in psychological theory and practice. The contribution of critical psychology in the struggle for social change is described first. Afterwards, traditional psychology is criticized on several levels, with more contemporary views offered in the spirit of the new disability paradigm. These are shown as useful for assessment and intervention of disabled persons. The work is especially focused on psychological counselling, with a brief overview of theoretical aspects of counselling, compatible with the SDM and recommendations of different authors within this framework, concerning counselling practice in psychology and rehabilitation.

Ova studija predstavlja prikaz razvoja socijalnog modela ometenosti (SMO), njegove osnovne pretpostavke, kao i uticaj na teoriju i praksu u psihologiji i rehabilitaciji. Posmatrajući ometenost kao formu ugnjetavanja, SMO je fokusiran na podsticanje društvenih promena. Prikazan je razvojni put od najranijih radikalnih oblika SMO do neutralnije socijalne orijentacije. Zatim su predstavljene promene u psihološ koj teoriji i praksi. Opisan je doprinos kritičke psihologije u borbi za socijalne promene. Tradicionalna psihologija je kritikovana na više nivoa i ponuđeno je nekoliko savremenih shvatanja u duhu nove paradigme ometenosti. Diskusija je dalje usmerena na savremene pristupe, bazirane na težnji za socijalnim promenama, a koji mogu biti od koristi za procenu i intervencije kod osoba s ometenošću. Poseban prostor je posvećen psihološkom savetovanju, s kratkim osvrtom na teorijske aspekte savetovanja koji su kompatibilni sa SMO, kao i preporukama različitih autora unutar SMO, u vezi s praksom savetovanja u psihologiji i rehabilitaciji.