THE ICIDH AND THE NEED FOR ITS REVISION

The international Classification of Impairments, Disabilities, and Han dicaps (ICIDH) published and used by the World Health Organization is currently undergoing a revision. Its conceptual basis is the medical m odel which leads to the medicalization of disability. From this point it is a short step to eugenics and a class-based evaluation of people with disabilities using the concept of 'normal'. People with disabilit ies are found to be lacking and a burden. The language and the logic o f the ICIDH are faulty. It is replete with biased, handicapist languag e. In its present form and even in its proposed revised form (ICIDH-2) it is a threat to the disability community world wide.