4. Relational model

Contents: Disability as an interaction between the individual and the environment, origins and development, transition between individual and social approaches.

The relational model views disability as the result of the interaction between individual circumstances and specific environmental conditions. An impairment is not regarded as a disability per se, but only when requirements, expectations or structures are incompatible (Hirschberg, 2022, p. 96).

This model originated in the Nordic countries within the context of socio-educational and integration-oriented approaches and represents a transition between individual and societal explanations (Hirschberg, 2022, p. 96; Egen & Waldhoff, 2023, p. 193). It shifts the focus from stable deficits to situational fit.

The relational model is based on three premises: Firstly, disability arises from a mismatch between the individual and their environment. Secondly, disability is fundamentally situation- and context-dependent. Thirdly, disability is a relative phenomenon (Hirschberg, 2022, p. 96).