ABSTRACT
Disability is understood, defined and measured in many different ways, with variations both within and between countries. The chapter presents some of the main conceptual models of disability, including individual models, the social model and the biopsychosocial model. It considers the problem of how to measure the prevalence and extent of disability, in order to enable policymakers and service providers to plan interventions and allocate resources efficiently, as well as to facilitate international comparisons. The chapter examines three distinct types of individual model – the religious model, the welfare model and the medical model. Individual models locate disability within the impaired body and are underpinned by notions of disability as a personal tragedy. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health are a biopsychosocial model of disability, incorporating elements of the medical model and social model. This model views disability in terms of functional limitations in three core areas: body function and structure, activities and participation.
