Which model is the oldest model of disability?

• A. Moral model of disability
• B. Medical model of disability
• C. Social model of disability
• D. Biopsychosocial model

Answer: (A)

Historical views on disability and how society judges and treats people with impairments is what this item is getting at. The oldest framework treats disability as a moral issue—an outcome of character, sin, or a perceived moral failing. In many cultures and eras, disability was seen as divine punishment or a sign of improper conduct, leading to stigma, exclusion, and pressures for penance or moral reform rather than focusing on support, rights, or accommodations. This approach places responsibility on the individual and their morality rather than examining the person’s abilities, needs, or environmental factors.

Later developments shifted toward explaining disability through impairments and medical conditions, focusing on diagnosis, treatment, or cure. Then came the recognition that society’s barriers—attitudes, architecture, policies—play a major role in disabling people, which is the social model. The biopsychosocial model later integrated biological factors with psychological and social influences to explain disability more holistically.

Because the moral interpretation arose long before medical or social theories, it is the oldest way people have understood disability.