Employment relations and the two dominant models of disability

Jennifer Remnant and Ian Cunningham

Chapter 24 in Theories and Concepts in Work and Employment Relations, 2025, pp 211-219 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter provides an overview of the two dominant understandings of disability used in contemporary workplaces – the medical and social models of disability – and then considers how they have been and might be used within employment relations research. The medical model of disability underpins workplace policies such as Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policies, as it is the model fundamental to the UK Equality Act (2010). The social model of disability was developed by disabled people in response to the limitations of the medical model and has political utility to challenge ableist policies at work. The chapter argues that future research should focus on issues relating to an ageing workforce, to better prepare employers for the changing demographics of their workforces.

Keywords: Disability; Illness; Social model; Medical model; Human resource management; Absence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781035316199
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