Understanding disability requires a multi-dimensional perspective, as it is not merely a medical condition but a social, cultural, and personal phenomenon. Different approaches have evolved over time to explain disability, each highlighting varied aspects of human experience, social structures, and institutional practices. These approaches are essential in education as a practice because they inform how educators, policymakers, and society at large design inclusive learning environments, support mechanisms, and pedagogical strategies. Broadly, the approaches to understand disability can be categorized into the medical, social, human rights, cultural, and educational perspectives, each offering unique insights and implications. The medical model of disability is one of the earliest frameworks. It views disability primarily as a problem intrinsic to the individual, caused by disease, injury, or health condition. In this approach, the focus is on diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and the attempt to “fix” or “normalize” the person. For example, children with visual impairments might be provided with corrective surgery or assistive devices to help them see better. In education, the medical model often leads to special education programs that segregate children with disabilities from their peers, emphasizing remediation of deficits rather than inclusive learning practices. While this model has been useful in promoting medical interventions, it has been criticized for ignoring the societal and environmental barriers that limit participation and for reducing individuals to their impairments. In contrast, the social model of disability shifts attention from the individual to society. Disability is understood as the result of interaction between people with impairments and barriers created by social, cultural, and physical environments. In this perspective, society disables people through inaccessibility, prejudice, and exclusion rather than the impairment itself. For instance, a wheelchair user is not disabled by the inability to walk but by the absence of ramps, elevators, and accessible public transport. In the context of education, the social model encourages inclusive classrooms where teaching methods, curricula, and infrastructure are adapted to meet diverse needs. It emphasizes removing environmental and attitudinal barriers and promoting universal design for learning. This approach has significantly influenced disability rights