Disability in Mexico: a comparative analysis between descriptive models and historical periods using a timeline

Area of Science:

• Disability Studies
• History of Science
• Sociology of Health

Background:

• Prevailing interpretations link three Disability Models (DM) – Charity, Medical/Rehabilitation, and Social – to distinct historical periods in Mexico.
• These interpretations are prevalent in major official documents concerning disability in Mexico.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically evaluate the chronological succession of Disability Models in Mexico.
• To determine the plausibility of associating specific Disability Models with discrete historical periods.

Main Methods:

• A timeline methodology was employed to analyze the historical progression of Disability Models.
• A systematic document search was conducted using defined inclusion and exclusion criteria across multiple databases.
• Representative studies were selected to identify key milestones for each historical period.

Main Results:

• Disability Models function as analytical categories rather than distinct historical periods.
• Elements of all three Disability Models (Charity, Medical/Rehabilitation, Social) are concurrently present and observable up to the present day.
• The proposed association between Disability Models and historical periods leads to teleological interpretations of disability history in Mexico.

Conclusions:

• The historical progression of disability in Mexico is not accurately represented by a linear succession of the Charity, Medical/Rehabilitation, and Social models.
• Disability Models should be understood as analytical frameworks that coexist and evolve over time.
• Revising the interpretation of Disability Models from historical periods to analytical categories is crucial for a more accurate understanding of disability history.