The model says that people are disabled by barriers in society, not by their impairment or difference. Barriers can be physical, like buildings not having accessible toilets. Or they can be caused by people's attitudes to difference, like assuming disabled people can't do certain things. The social model helps us recognise barriers that make life harder for disabled people. Removing these barriers creates equality and offers disabled people more independence, choice and control.
(10) But Moses said to ה׳, “Please, O my lord, I have never been a man of words, either in times past or now that You have spoken to Your servant; I have slowed speech and slowness of tongue.” ...(13) But he said, “Please, O my lord, make someone else Your agent.” (14) ה׳ became angry with Moses and said, “There is your brother Aaron the Levite. ...— (16) and he shall speak for you to the people. Thus he shall serve as your spokesman, with you playing the role of God to him.
(3) The king continued, “Is there anyone at all left of the House of Saul with whom I can keep faith as pledged before God?” Ziba answered the king, “Yes, there is still a son of Jonathan whose feet are injured.” ... (6) and when Mephibosheth son of Jonathan son of Saul came to David, he flung himself on his face and prostrated himself. David said, “Mephibosheth!” and he replied, “At your service, sir.” (7) David said to him, “Don’t be afraid, for I will keep faith with you for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will give you back all the land of your grandfather Saul; moreover, you shall always eat at my table.” ... (13) Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate regularly at the king’s table. He had an injury in both feet.
(26) When he came [from] Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Why didn’t you come with me, Mephibosheth?” (27) He replied, “My lord the king, my own servant deceived me. Your servant planned to saddle his ass and ride on it and go with Your Majesty—for your servant has disabilities.
He deceived me: for I said let us saddle the donkey to ride it for I am handicapped and cannot walk on foot, and in the midst of this he left on his own (leaving me alone), and I was not able to travel alone.
(טו) וַיִּזְעֲק֣וּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ אֶל־ה׳ וַיָּ֩קֶם֩ ה׳ לָהֶ֜ם מוֹשִׁ֗יעַ אֶת־אֵה֤וּד בֶּן־גֵּרָא֙ בֶּן־הַיְמִינִ֔י אִ֥ישׁ אִטֵּ֖ר יַד־יְמִינ֑וֹ וַיִּשְׁלְח֨וּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל בְּיָדוֹ֙ מִנְחָ֔ה לְעֶגְל֖וֹן מֶ֥לֶךְ מוֹאָֽב׃ (טז) וַיַּ֩עַשׂ֩ ל֨וֹ אֵה֜וּד חֶ֗רֶב וְלָ֛הּ שְׁנֵ֥י פֵי֖וֹת גֹּ֣מֶד אׇרְכָּ֑הּ וַיַּחְגֹּ֤ר אוֹתָהּ֙ מִתַּ֣חַת לְמַדָּ֔יו עַ֖ל יֶ֥רֶךְ יְמִינֽוֹ׃ ... (כא) וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח אֵהוּד֙ אֶת־יַ֣ד שְׂמֹאל֔וֹ וַיִּקַּח֙ אֶת־הַחֶ֔רֶב מֵעַ֖ל יֶ֣רֶךְ יְמִינ֑וֹ וַיִּתְקָעֶ֖הָ בְּבִטְנֽוֹ׃
(15) Then the Israelites cried out to GOD, and GOD raised up a champion for them: the Benjaminite Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed man. It happened that the Israelites sent tribute to King Eglon of Moab through him. (16) So Ehud made for himself a two-edged dagger, a gomed in length, which he girded on his right side under his cloak. ... (21) Reaching with his left hand, Ehud drew the dagger from his right side and drove it into Eglon’s belly.
However, as representation becomes more and more common on our screens, I believe the way to truly represent disability ... will be to almost entirely ignore it and make it incidental, rather than a focal point. To show that people with disabilities are flawed beings with foibles and loves and hates and longing and angst... just like the rest of humanity, and they just happen to have a disability.
(10) He reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem; his mother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom. (11) Asa did what was pleasing to GOD, as his forefather David had done. ... (23) All the other events of Asa’s reign, and all his exploits, and all his actions, and the towns that he fortified, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Judah. However, in his old age he developed a foot ailment.
These photos, all of the photos on my feed are all intentional, shared to help broaden our understanding of disability so when you see me and others like me out in the world, living our lives, you won’t be surprised, you won’t be taken aback, because you have already seen us. You won’t feel the need to stare at us and objectify us, because you have already seen us.