Models of disability: the relationship between theory and practice in non-statutory organizations

Drawing on a study exploring the meaning of the ‘learning society’ for adults with learning difficulties, this article examines the relationship between theory and practice in a number of voluntary and user organizations active in the learning disability field. It begins by outlining the ethos of normalization and the social model of disability. Nine out of 10 organizations taking part in the study explicitly or implicitly identified the social model as the main framework for their activities. However, significant inconsistencies in agencies’ accounts are identified at theoretical, policy and practice levels. A number of possible explanations for these findings are examined.