Editing Models of deafness (section)

== Social Model ==
{{Confusing section|hints that society has an obligation to make the environment better for the sake of the "disabled"|date=June 2011}}
{{See|Social model of disability}}The social model of deafness stems from the [[social model of disability]]. The concept of social disability was created by people who are disabled themselves, their families, friends, and associated social and political networks. Professionals in the [[human services]] fields and the [[social science]]s greatly contributed to the social model. This model describes a person's disability on the basis of two factors:

# the physical or mental traits that cause this disability
# their environment, as it is influenced by the perception of others.<ref name=":1">{{cite journal|vauthors=Samaha AM|date=2007|title=What good is the social model of disability|url=https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=13488&context=journal_articles|journal=University of Chicago Law Review|volume=74|issue=4|pages=1251–1308|doi=10.2307/20141862|jstor=20141862|s2cid=141304736|via=HeinOnline|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

Through this lens individuals who are deaf are considered disabled due to their inability to hear, which hearing counterparts in their surroundings have historically viewed as a disadvantage.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Salsgiver|first1=Richard O.|last2=Mackelprang|first2=Romel W.|date=1996-01-01|title=People with Disabilities and Social Work: Historical and Contemporary Issues|journal=Social Work|volume=41|issue=1|pages=7–14|doi=10.1093/sw/41.1.7|pmid=8560321|issn=0037-8046}}</ref> Deaf people may also have [[Deaf plus| other disabilities]]. People with disabilities affirm that the design of the environment often disables them. In more accessible environments where those that are deaf have access to language that is not only spoken they are disabled less, or not at all. Areas where hearing and deaf individuals interact, called contact zones, often leave deaf individuals at a disadvantage because of the environment being tailored to suit the needs of the hearing counterpart.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Bauman|first=H.-Dirksen L.|date=2005-07-01|title=Designing Deaf Babies and the Question of Disability|journal=The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education|volume=10|issue=3|pages=311–315|doi=10.1093/deafed/eni031|pmid=15858071|issn=1081-4159|doi-access=free}}</ref> The history of Martha's Vineyard, when looking specifically at [[Martha's Vineyard Sign Language]], supports this notion. At one point in time, the deaf population on the island was so great that it was commonplace for hearing residents to know and use both signed and spoken language to communicate with their neighbors. In this environmental design, it was not "bad" or "disabling" if one was not able to hear in order to communicate.  With certain disabilities, medical intervention can improve subsequent health issues. This is true to parts of the deaf population, as in some cases hearing can be gained with the assistance of medical technologies. The social model acknowledges the hard truth that medical intervention does not address societal issues that prevail - regardless of its extent or success.<ref name=":1" />

In addition to changing environments from disabling to enabling atmospheres, advocates of the social model support the complete integration of disabled people into society.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=de Zaldo|first=Garé Fábila|date=1999|title=The Social Integration of Individuals with Disabilities|journal=Bilingual Review / La Revista Bilingüe|volume=24|issue=1/2|pages=3–18|issn=0094-5366|jstor=25745645}}</ref> They encourage maximum integration with peers who are not disabled by their environment, especially, but not exclusively, in the school setting. Ultimately, the goal of proponents of the social model is to ensure all people are fully able to enjoy "all human rights and fundamental freedoms".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/preamble.html|title=Preamble {{!}} United Nations Enable|website=www.un.org|access-date=2019-04-11}}</ref> The social model of disability's ideology of "all-inclusive" school environments is not adhered to in the cultural model. Residential schools separate deaf and hard of hearing children from their hearing counterparts. The existence of these schools demonstrate an example of respecting and embracing the totality of the deaf experience rather than dismissing it. While the social model's promotion of inclusion at every level is a great principle, it may not always be the best environment in practice. In the case of deafness, there is a lot a child can miss in a mainstreamed schooling environment. In a poorly constructed mainstreamed environment, fostering relationships with classmates may be difficult and auditory important material shared verbally by teachers may be missed. As a result, the child may fall behind both academically and socially.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Nunes|first1=Terezinha|last2=Pretzlik|first2=Ursula|last3=Olsson|first3=Jenny|date=2001|title=Deaf children's social relationships in mainstream schools|journal=Deafness & Education International|volume=3|issue=3|pages=123–136|doi=10.1002/dei.106|issn=1557-069X}}</ref> In residential school settings, these challenges may not be experienced to the same degree, and would allow for deaf children's social and academic lives to instead flourish.