ABSTRACT
The medical model of disability locates the problem of disability within the individual. Health professionals diagnose and attempt to treat or otherwise address the impairments that people "have". The social model of disability, however, locates the problem of disability within society. Developed within the civil and human rights movements, the social model indicates that impairments do not cause disabilities. In addition to dealing with various degrees of an unaccommodating society, individuals with disabilities have to cope with the impairments themselves. The emotional distress from acquired disabilities, however, may not always follow the expected trajectory of decreasing as time passes. Although the evidence of the physical, psychological, and social benefits of physical activity for people with disabilities is overwhelming, the majority of individuals with disabilities are sedentary. When exercise practitioners work with people with disabilities, the disability is rarely the main focus.
