Which statement reflects the social model of disability?

• A. Disability is a medical defect to fix
• B. Accessibility is unnecessary
• C. Barriers are societal
• D. Disability is a personal tragedy

Answer: (C)

In this view, disability comes from the barriers created by society, not from the person’s impairment. What matters are the obstacles people face in the environment—things like stairs without ramps, inaccessible information or services, and attitudes or policies that exclude certain groups. Because removing or reducing those barriers lets people participate more fully, the statement that barriers are societal best captures this perspective.

Think of it this way: even if someone has a medical condition, their ability to participate is shaped by how welcoming and navigable the world is for them. The other common views describe disability as a medical defect to fix, or as a personal tragedy, or deny the need for accessibility—those reflect different ways of understanding disability, not the social model’s emphasis on changing society to remove barriers.