CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL IN ACCESSIBILITY CORE
COMPETENCIES (CPACC)
Medical Model of Disability - ANSWER: Views disability as a problem of the person,
directly caused by disease, trauma, or other health condition which therefore
requires sustained medical care provided in the form of individual treatment by
professionals.
Strengths of the Medical Model - ANSWER: Can address the biological sources of
disabilities, either by clinically curing them or providing ways to medically manage
conditions.
Weaknesses of the Medical Model - ANSWER: Treats disability as a problem or
inherent characteristic of the individual. Often overlooks issues caused by
unwelcoming or inaccessible environments or broader sociopolitical constraints
including attitudes, policies and (lack of) regulations.
Social Model of Disability - ANSWER: Says that the way society is conceptualized
causes disability, rather than a person's impairment or difference.
Strengths of the Social Model - ANSWER: Emphasizes that barriers and challenges
experienced by people with disabilities are not inevitable. Can improve the lives of
people with disabilities considerably by ensuring the world is designed to
accommodate a wide range of human characteristics and abilities.
Weaknesses of the Social Model - ANSWER: Can downplay the embodied aspects of
disabilities. The social model's push for social justice in the political arena can also
put activists at odds with people with other political interests.
Biopsychosocial Model of Disability - ANSWER: Considers the biological factors and
the psychological and social factors:
Bio (physiologogy)
Psycho (thoughts, emotions, and behaviors)
Social (socio-economical, socio-environmental, and cultural)
Strengths of the Biopsychosocial Model - ANSWER: Can be used in situations related
to rehabilitation
Weaknesses of the Biopsychosocial Model - ANSWER: Can downplay the physical
aspects. The classification is too complex to implement.
Economic Model of Disability - ANSWER: Defined by a person's inability to participate
in work. Assesses the degree to which impairment affects an individual's productivity
and the economic consequences for the individual, employer, and the state.
,Strengths of the Economic Model of Disability - ANSWER: Recognizes the effect of
bodily limitations on a person's ability to work, and that may require economic
support and / or accommodations for the person's disability.
Weaknesses of the Economic Model of Disability - ANSWER: Creates a legally defined
category of people who are needy, which can be stigmatizing. If a person doesn't
meet the legal "disabled" threshold, or if there is a dispute about a person's
disability, the person with the disability may not receive the support they need.
Functional Solutions Model of Disability - ANSWER: Identifies the limitations (or
"functional impairments") due to disability, with the intent to create and promote
solutions to overcome those limitations.
Strengths of the Functional Solutions Model of Disability - ANSWER: Results oriented.
Solves real-world challenges, attends to the needs of people in their own
circumstances and is based on providing services.
Weaknesses of the Functional Solutions Model of Disability - ANSWER: Products
created may be innovative but neither practical nor useful. Some products may be of
more benefit to the innovators than to the target population, especially if they are
expensive.
Social Identity/Cultural Affiliation Model of Disability - ANSWER: Refers to a sense of
deriving one's personal identity from membership within a group of like-minded
individuals
Strengths of the Social Identity/Cultural Affiliation Model of Disability - ANSWER:
Accepts the person's disability completely and uses it as a point of pride in
associating with other people in a similar condition.
Weaknesses of the Social Identity/Cultural Affiliation Model of Disability - ANSWER:
Sense of belonging felt within a group of people can be counterbalanced by feelings
of exclusion for people who don't fit the group's expectations.
Charity Model of Disability - ANSWER: Regards people with disabilities as
unfortunate and in need of outside help. People providing charity are viewed as
benevolent. It is related to the medical model, treating disability as an individual
problem, and to the economic model in that it views disability in terms of the
economic consequences to the individual.
Strengths of the Charity Model of Disability - ANSWER: Can inspire people to
contribute their time and/or resources to provide help when it is genuinely needed.
Weaknesses of the Charity Model of Disability - ANSWER: Can be condescending
toward people with disabilities. They may resent feeling like they are an object of
pity, and that they must depend on accepting or cultivating this pity. The charity
, model often focuses on short-term, immediate needs at the expense of more
comprehensive and ultimately more effective long-term solutions.
Visual Disabilities - ANSWER: Sensory disabilities that include:
• some amount of vision loss
• loss of visual acuity (sharpness)
• increased or decreased sensitivity to specific or bright colors
• complete or uncorrectable loss of vision in either or both eyes.
Blindness - ANSWER: A sensory disability involving some vision loss, nearly complete
vision loss, and complete vision loss. Some people are completely blind, so cannot
see anything. Others can perceive light versus dark or general shapes of large objects
but cannot read text or recognize people by sight.
Color Vision Deficiency - ANSWER: Sensory disability where a person may not be able
to distinguish certain color combinations. The most common form of color vision
deficiency affects a person's ability to distinguish reds and greens. Other colors may
also be affected.
Low Vision - ANSWER: Most eye care professionals prefer to use the term "low
vision" to describe permanently reduced vision that cannot be corrected with regular
glasses, contact lenses, medicine, or surgery.
Barriers for people with visual disabilities - Physical - ANSWER: Materials, such as
books, restaurant menus, and navigation aids are not available in alternate formats
such as digital files or braille
People who do not adequately describe navigation steps or visual information
Inadequate lighting
Sounds masking informative sounds like directional cues
Non-tactile signs
Objects in travel paths that become obstacles
Barriers for people with visual disabilities - ICT - ANSWER: Images, controls, and
other meaningful elements that do not have text alternatives
Text, images, and page layouts that cannot be resized or lose information when
resized
Missing visual and non-visual orientation cues, page structure, and other
navigational aids
Video content that does not have text or audio alternatives, or an audio description
track
Inconsistent, unpredictable, or overly complicated navigation mechanisms and page
functions
Text and images with insufficient color contrast between foreground and
background
Websites, web browsers, and authoring tools that do not enable users to set up
custom color combinations
COMPETENCIES (CPACC)
Medical Model of Disability - ANSWER: Views disability as a problem of the person,
directly caused by disease, trauma, or other health condition which therefore
requires sustained medical care provided in the form of individual treatment by
professionals.
Strengths of the Medical Model - ANSWER: Can address the biological sources of
disabilities, either by clinically curing them or providing ways to medically manage
conditions.
Weaknesses of the Medical Model - ANSWER: Treats disability as a problem or
inherent characteristic of the individual. Often overlooks issues caused by
unwelcoming or inaccessible environments or broader sociopolitical constraints
including attitudes, policies and (lack of) regulations.
Social Model of Disability - ANSWER: Says that the way society is conceptualized
causes disability, rather than a person's impairment or difference.
Strengths of the Social Model - ANSWER: Emphasizes that barriers and challenges
experienced by people with disabilities are not inevitable. Can improve the lives of
people with disabilities considerably by ensuring the world is designed to
accommodate a wide range of human characteristics and abilities.
Weaknesses of the Social Model - ANSWER: Can downplay the embodied aspects of
disabilities. The social model's push for social justice in the political arena can also
put activists at odds with people with other political interests.
Biopsychosocial Model of Disability - ANSWER: Considers the biological factors and
the psychological and social factors:
Bio (physiologogy)
Psycho (thoughts, emotions, and behaviors)
Social (socio-economical, socio-environmental, and cultural)
Strengths of the Biopsychosocial Model - ANSWER: Can be used in situations related
to rehabilitation
Weaknesses of the Biopsychosocial Model - ANSWER: Can downplay the physical
aspects. The classification is too complex to implement.
Economic Model of Disability - ANSWER: Defined by a person's inability to participate
in work. Assesses the degree to which impairment affects an individual's productivity
and the economic consequences for the individual, employer, and the state.
,Strengths of the Economic Model of Disability - ANSWER: Recognizes the effect of
bodily limitations on a person's ability to work, and that may require economic
support and / or accommodations for the person's disability.
Weaknesses of the Economic Model of Disability - ANSWER: Creates a legally defined
category of people who are needy, which can be stigmatizing. If a person doesn't
meet the legal "disabled" threshold, or if there is a dispute about a person's
disability, the person with the disability may not receive the support they need.
Functional Solutions Model of Disability - ANSWER: Identifies the limitations (or
"functional impairments") due to disability, with the intent to create and promote
solutions to overcome those limitations.
Strengths of the Functional Solutions Model of Disability - ANSWER: Results oriented.
Solves real-world challenges, attends to the needs of people in their own
circumstances and is based on providing services.
Weaknesses of the Functional Solutions Model of Disability - ANSWER: Products
created may be innovative but neither practical nor useful. Some products may be of
more benefit to the innovators than to the target population, especially if they are
expensive.
Social Identity/Cultural Affiliation Model of Disability - ANSWER: Refers to a sense of
deriving one's personal identity from membership within a group of like-minded
individuals
Strengths of the Social Identity/Cultural Affiliation Model of Disability - ANSWER:
Accepts the person's disability completely and uses it as a point of pride in
associating with other people in a similar condition.
Weaknesses of the Social Identity/Cultural Affiliation Model of Disability - ANSWER:
Sense of belonging felt within a group of people can be counterbalanced by feelings
of exclusion for people who don't fit the group's expectations.
Charity Model of Disability - ANSWER: Regards people with disabilities as
unfortunate and in need of outside help. People providing charity are viewed as
benevolent. It is related to the medical model, treating disability as an individual
problem, and to the economic model in that it views disability in terms of the
economic consequences to the individual.
Strengths of the Charity Model of Disability - ANSWER: Can inspire people to
contribute their time and/or resources to provide help when it is genuinely needed.
Weaknesses of the Charity Model of Disability - ANSWER: Can be condescending
toward people with disabilities. They may resent feeling like they are an object of
pity, and that they must depend on accepting or cultivating this pity. The charity
, model often focuses on short-term, immediate needs at the expense of more
comprehensive and ultimately more effective long-term solutions.
Visual Disabilities - ANSWER: Sensory disabilities that include:
• some amount of vision loss
• loss of visual acuity (sharpness)
• increased or decreased sensitivity to specific or bright colors
• complete or uncorrectable loss of vision in either or both eyes.
Blindness - ANSWER: A sensory disability involving some vision loss, nearly complete
vision loss, and complete vision loss. Some people are completely blind, so cannot
see anything. Others can perceive light versus dark or general shapes of large objects
but cannot read text or recognize people by sight.
Color Vision Deficiency - ANSWER: Sensory disability where a person may not be able
to distinguish certain color combinations. The most common form of color vision
deficiency affects a person's ability to distinguish reds and greens. Other colors may
also be affected.
Low Vision - ANSWER: Most eye care professionals prefer to use the term "low
vision" to describe permanently reduced vision that cannot be corrected with regular
glasses, contact lenses, medicine, or surgery.
Barriers for people with visual disabilities - Physical - ANSWER: Materials, such as
books, restaurant menus, and navigation aids are not available in alternate formats
such as digital files or braille
People who do not adequately describe navigation steps or visual information
Inadequate lighting
Sounds masking informative sounds like directional cues
Non-tactile signs
Objects in travel paths that become obstacles
Barriers for people with visual disabilities - ICT - ANSWER: Images, controls, and
other meaningful elements that do not have text alternatives
Text, images, and page layouts that cannot be resized or lose information when
resized
Missing visual and non-visual orientation cues, page structure, and other
navigational aids
Video content that does not have text or audio alternatives, or an audio description
track
Inconsistent, unpredictable, or overly complicated navigation mechanisms and page
functions
Text and images with insufficient color contrast between foreground and
background
Websites, web browsers, and authoring tools that do not enable users to set up
custom color combinations
