Medicine in Baha'i Perspectives on Disability

The governing bodies of the Baha’i Faith have written relatively little about disability. A major exception to this is a 2000 statement “A Bahá’í Perspective of Disability” by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the United Kingdom. The statement is unique in that it implicitly seeks to articulate the potential benefits of the Baha’i vision of civilizational progress for disabled people. Its main points are that Baha’is believe both government and charity are responsible for providing for those unable to work due to disability, and that Baha’is encourage the development of cures for previously incurable conditions. This reveals an essentially medical understanding of the origins and proper response to disability, generally reflecting the medical model of disability. The medical model is by no means unique to Baha’is, but is illustrative of the high regard given to medicine as a source of knowledge by Baha’i authorities and Baha’i writings.