Pastoral Relationship with People with Intellectual ... - Theses

802.5 Emerging DefinitionsFrom the mid-1970s onwards, various definitions of disability haveemerged that have sought to account for the disabling influences that come tobear on the individual. Analysis of some of these definitions serves to clarify thenature of a definition pertinent to this extended reflection.2.5.1 Union of the Physically Impaired Against SegregationIn the United Kingdom in 1975 the Union of the Physically ImpairedAgainst Segregation (UPIAS) was formed in order to develop and clearlyarticulate a series of fundamental principles concerning a Social model ofdisability.The UPIAS went on to define and clearly demarcate between impairmentand disability as follows: Impairment: Lacking part or all of a limb, or having a defective limb,organ or mechanism of the body. Disability: The disadvantage or restriction of activity caused by acontemporary social organisation which takes little account of people whohave physical impairments and thus excludes them from participation inthe mainstream of social activities. 203Thus a Social model of disability, although not yet so named, wasconstructed. Disability was distanced from the realm of a medically-perceivedconstruct, along with the stigmatization associated with being regarded as a sick,deficient being.However, whilst this definition unequivocally placed disability in therealm of social organisation, it failed to acknowledge the disabling effects of thebody and the incapacities specifically attributable to the impairment in question.It can be argued that this total demarcation between impairment and disability isexpressive of a fundamentalist definitional perspective. 204Also pertinent to this extended reflection is the omission of those withintellectual impairment from the definition of impairment, thus reaffirming these203 Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation. Fundamental Principles ofDisability, 20.204 Barnes, & Mercer. Disability, 65.