Joanna,
I am a woman with MS(diagnosed 1989 but like others developed symptoms well
before diagnosis) , I took early retirement from a full-time pressurised job
in July 1997 (at the time I was working part-time in a slightly different
(i.e.demoted) capacity from that to which I had originally been appointed.
I think the "social model" should be extended to include those with
illnesses such as MS. I agree that at present we don't quite "fit".
I am a member of the MS Society and am very interested in any attempts by
the society to apply such a model but wonder whether a charity for a
particular illness won't find this fact leads to too many contradictions as
it is surely by its very existence upholding the medical model?
I think the Social Model should be extended to include us and those with
similar impairments. Certainly the disability movement should take this on
board.
A few "random" thoughts.
I would be most interested to hear your views on this.
Fiona Harrison
-----Original Message-----
From: Joanna Ridley <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
<[log in to unmask]>
Date: 04 October 1999 12:37
Subject: The Social Model and Long-term Illness
>I am undertaking a masters level research project, looking into the
>viability of the MS Society (of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
>explicitly using the social model of disability to guide its work. I am a
>staff member within the MS Society's HQ and although I am not disabled
>myself, I am trying hard to include people with MS, carers, disabled people
>not connected to the MS Society and people within the 'disability movement'
>in the guiding of the research as it progresses.
>
>One particular issue that I am grappling with is the application of the
>social model to long-term medical conditions. In my discussions with
people
>with MS so far, quite a number say that they find it hard to relate to the
>social model because it does not address the impact of the impairment upon
>their lives. Pain, fatigue, spasm, speech and sight difficulties all
affect
>people with MS to varying extents. Whilst the social model can be applied
>to these aspects of MS, I haven't seen anything so far that relates the
>personal experience to the social model. I am sure there must be something
>out there.
>
>If you can help me or point me in the right direction, I would love to hear
>from you.
>
>Joanna Ridley
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