Discourse on Disability and Rehabilitation Issues: Opportunities for Psychology

Abstract

There are noteworthy differences between the old and new paradigms of disability perspective, particularly in the way that disability is measured, defined, and understood. The new paradigm emphasizes the dynamic intersection of environmental factors and individual characteristics and the role this intersection plays in shaping the disability experience. In contrast, the old paradigm of disability is reductive to pathology and emphasizes individual disability characteristics and deficits. In addition to a discussion of the old and new paradigms of disability, the author summarizes the fundamental theoretical frameworks that have influenced the current state of the science in disability and rehabilitation and offers an overview of definitions, terminology, and models of disability. The author concludes with an overview of the articles in this section.