The social model and consumers with disabilities research: contributions, criticisms, and call for new perspectives

Since the 1990s, the marketing literature has seen the emergence of research dedicated to consumers with disabilities (CWD). This work is mostly based on the social model of disability, which encourages practitioners to eradicate the physical and architectural barriers faced by individuals. However, in the field of disability studies, the social model is increasingly criticised both for being too radical and for neglecting the subjective experience of disability. In this paper, we attempt to illuminate existing views, while advocating new perspectives, for conceptualising and representing disability in consumer research. With this in mind, we first briefly present the major conceptual foundations and models of disability research. Then, we systematically review marketing literature on CWD to examine the perspectives used when studying this phenomenon. Finally, we propose a research agenda aimed at advancing the understanding of consumption and disability.