Legal insider - disability law: a new emerging academic discipline

This short article explains the potential of disability law as a new academic area. It introduces the idea on how the law would influence the existing framework on disability studies. The relationship exists due to stigmatisation and discrimination facing people with disabilities. According to the World Health Organisation and World Bank 2011 World Report on Disability, almost 15% of the world's population are disabled. Disability studies are becoming crucial and vital disciplines in order to fulfil the knowledge gap, improve social policy and resolve legal quagmire facing the marginalised group. There are two main models penetrating the disability studies, and this dominated the discussion and arguments relating to law and policy-making process. The medical model, also known as individual/personal tragedy model, focuses on disabled people as those who need treatment, rehabilitation and prevention of being disabled. The next model, which shapes the relationship, is known as the social model. The social model observes the factor of environment and attitude as the reasons for discrimination faced by persons with disabilities. This model has significantly improved the lives of people with disabilities in terms of their social participation and involvement within all aspects of society. The social model has also significantly improved the understanding of disability studies, especially within the legal perspectives. Law has a significant role in ensuring the provided legal framework gives better protection and remedy to address those concerned issues. Disability law challenges the concept of disability and how it related to society generally. According to Lawson (2020), disability law relates to the law's role in creating, perpetuating, resisting and contesting disablement. It signifies the importance of understanding social justice regarding how the social structure and system has caused disadvantages, marginalised and excluded people with disabilities. Kanter (2011) described the potential of disability studies to explain how society and law interact with different human experience. The concept of normalcy has challenged our assumption, to recognise and appreciate the value of differences amongst people. For example, people communicate through sign language, use a wheelchair, read using Braille and face mental health issues.