Social model
Disability is created by the gap between a person's body or mind and an environment that wasn't designed to include them. The barrier is in the world, not the person.
Example
A wheelchair user isn't disabled by their legs. They are disabled by buildings with stairs and no ramps. Remove the stairs, and the disability disappears.
Key point
Critics argue that the social model downplays the real limitations caused by impairments. They assert that not every barrier is architectural or attitudinal.