8. Affirmative model

Contents: Disability as a positive identity, origins and development, further development of the social model.

The affirmative model represents a deliberate alternative to deficit-oriented perspectives. Disability is understood as a positive aspect of social identity and recognised as an expression of diversity, rather than as a personal deficit or tragedy.

This model emerged from criticism of problem-focused representations of disability, including within Disability Studies itself. It emphasises self-representation, empowerment and cultural visibility.

Within Disability Studies, this model should be regarded more as a constructive further development of the social model and less as a model in its own right (Hirschberg 2022, pp. 100–101).