All the Other Words Make Us Gag. Stakeholders are persons or groups who have an interest or concern in a project, activity, or course of action. Identity-first language promotes use of phrases like "amputee," "diabetic" and "disabled person" (but not "victim" or similar negative words) where disability identity comes first. Frankly, that answer sounds a bit politically correct. Consider the audience when determining the appropriate term(s) to use. Advancing psychology to benefit society and improve lives, Contact the Office on Disability Issues in Psychology. Used as a put-down in most cases. Suffers from or is afflicted with [condition], People with a pre-existing mental health disorder, People with a pre-existing behavioral health disorder, People with a diagnosis of a mental illness/mental health disorder/behavioral health disorder. They are not necessarily more politically correct., More Appropriate: a person has a physical, sensory or mental disability, Less Appropriate: inspirational, courageous. To declare oneself or another person as deaf or blind, for example, was considered somewhat bold, rude, or impolite. It wasn't a matter of being politically correct, but a matter of common decency. Emily Ladau of Words I Wheel By had some very prophetic and profound thoughts on this. Why are we avoiding using the word disabled? Erin E. Andrews, former co-chair of APA's Committee on Disability Issues in Psychology is board certified in rehabilitation psychology and currently serves as the supervisory psychologist at the Austin Veterans Affairs (VA) Outpatient Clinic, the largest freestanding VA outpatient clinic in the United States. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, schools are required to provide education services to students with disabilities. "They are retarded" becomes "They are people with developmental disabilities.". Dont worry we wont send you spam or share your email address with anyone. Disabled is not a dirty word. One of the most commonly stated goals of political correctness is the elimination of verbal discrimination and negative stereotyping. Healthcare Access & Access to Services and Resources, Non-U.S.-born Persons / Immigration Status, People Who are at Increased / Higher Risk, Working Partners & Community Collaborators, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Down syndrome community simmers down. It epitomizes how far the disability community has come. And looking back, person first language seems to have been promoted mostly by non-disabled people for our benefit, not by us. Do you say none of the words? Members of Deaf culture want their label to be capitalized with a "D," which is a means for establishing unity and community. Aim to be factual, descriptive, and simple, not condescending, sentimental, or awkward. But most disabled folks, Read More 4 Ideas for Developing A Strong Leadership Pipeline with Disabled Youth, by Corbett OTooleContinue, The second post in the weekly Sibling Series, exploring relationships between siblings with disabilities, we have a post written by Patti of A Perfect Lily . Some groups within the disability community, which is arguably the largest minority group in the U.S., have already established their language preferences. The definition of politically correct language (abbreviated to PC) is choosing and using words that focus on empathy, fairness and justice. Its part of you and that part is important. There is, and it is known as identity-first language. Disability itself does not create a strong person, that strength comes from within the person. Being disabled is not a tragedy; how society treats disabled people is the tragedy. Describes that which is different about ANY person as all simply have needs., More Appropriate: (none is needed), accommodations are needed, Less Appropriate: physically challenged, handi-capable, inconvenienced, differently-abled, Comment: To some people, these euphemisms avoid reality and rob people of dignity. By coming up with all kinds of phrases and words to avoid saying disabled/disability inherently implies that those words are so negative, they just shouldnt be said. Its a way of experiencing the world. Questions like these are important, particularly because disability represents a form of diversity, similar to one's gender, race, ethnicity, social class, religion and so on. Dunn is the author or editor of 29 books and over 150 journal articles, chapters and book reviews. It is hard to pinpoint exactly when the politically correct movement in the disability community started, but the movement has stirred some controversy. Do not use underserved when you really mean disproportionately affected. Identify-first is: deaf person, blind person, disabled person. Consider these guidelines when communicating with or about disabled people. This claiming can be about disability more generally or with regards to a particular disability. Its for everyone out there like my friend who asked me to write this post because she was just confused by all the talk out there about what to call us! Meriah, thank you for capturing and describing the angst of so many of us who wish to be sensitive in todays turbulent social bullying environment! The following provides some preferred terms for select population groups; these terms attempt to represent an ongoing shift toward non-stigmatizing language. (2010). These cookies perform functions like remembering presentation options or choices and, in some cases, delivery of web content that based on self-identified area of interests. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. We do know that at some point, some people decided that terms like "deaf" or "blind" were derogatory, negative, and should not be used. However, she actually is not handicapped herself; rather, the handicapping element is in the environment, not within her. The Term "Intellectual Disability" Is Too Broad and, Therefore, Unclear. Instead, Im taking cues from advocates who are disabled themselves. She raises tremendous amounts of money for families wanting to adopt children with Down syndrome from Eastern Europe (thus, Read More Sibling Series: Patti Guest Posts in an Interview with her kidsContinue, Im really glad you like it! Some groups consider the term people of color as an unnecessary and binary option (people of color vs. White people), and some people do not identify with the term people of color. If you describe one group, use the same type of description for all groups being compared. Which is the correct term, disability rights or handicapped rights? Which means, it should no longer be socially acceptable (was it ever . A disability is a condition or quality linked to a particular person. When disability struck me, I lost a great deal and went through years of suffering. Normally, I would never say that I am the deaf girl, I always use my name. Some work to curb the use of obviously insulting terms, while others take pride in the old adage about sticks and stones. Some hope to use language to lift disabled people up, while others prefer precision and linguistic elegance. Totally agree. "They are two distinct things. 56. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. Check benefits and financial support you can get, Find out about the Energy Bills Support Scheme, nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3, confined to a wheelchair, wheelchair-bound, mentally handicapped, mentally defective, retarded, subnormal, with a learning disability (singular) with learning disabilities (plural), people with visual impairments; blind people; blind and partially sighted people, an epileptic, diabetic, depressive, and so on, person with epilepsy, diabetes, depression or someone who has epilepsy, diabetes, depression, someone with restricted growth or short stature, use a normal tone of voice, dont patronise or talk down, dont be too precious or too politically correct being super-sensitive to the right and wrong language and depictions will stop you doing anything, never attempt to speak or finish a sentence for the person you are talking to, address disabled people in the same way as you talk to everyone else, speak directly to a disabled person, even if they have an interpreter or companion with them. Colorado State Universitysland acknowledgment is a statement crafted by a variety of Indigenous faculty and staff, as well as other officials at CSU. Very few adults refer to their disabilities as special needs, which should maybe cause us to rethink using the term for kids and youth with disabilities. American Indian or Alaska Native should only be used to describe persons with different tribal affiliations or when the tribal affiliations are not known or not known to be the same. Answer (1 of 5): I think handicapped is more commonly disliked because some people think the etymology is "cap in hand" i.e. 2. Its a word used with pride. For example, do not use refugee if you mean immigrant.. This post is about the politically correct term for disabled and politically correct term for special needs. The term has often been used derisively . How should nondisabled people refer to disabled persons? . Traumatic Brain Injury Resources and Blog Posts, Cool Cats: Voices from the Disability Community, International Alliance of Writers for Down Syndrome: The T21 Alliance, The Right Things to Say to Someone with a Chronic Illness, The famous person or situation or whatever apologizes. First I want to quote another parent like me, who did a similar post almost a year ago. Terms like "differently abled" do more harm than good. Well send you a link to a feedback form. Similarly, placing people with disabilities on a pedestal ("You are so brave to keep trying despite your disability! I was at an event yesterday, and some stewards were helping me up a hill. Use gender-neutral language whenever possible (for example, avoid actress and consider actor instead for both male and female actors). The social psychology of disability. Person with . By that I mean they assume that most of the applicants will have access to the curriculum (even if its lousy) and can participate in whatever afterschool programs are offered (even if theres a limited list). Incapacitated. Person with a disability is now referred to as a disabled person. You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link. Since we're talking about replacements for "crippled," we'll focus on the physical disabilities, which is why "disabled" still works as the best replacement. Disability Disability is a term used to describe people who have a mental or physical impairment which has a long-term effect on their ability to carry out day-to-day activities. This site strives to "unpack" - or better understand - disability by trying to go deeper into disability thought, culture, opinions and experience through interviews, essays and media. Note that it is widely used as a legal term in documents, on signs, etc. Consider using words other than stakeholder when appropriate for your audience and subject matter, recognizing it may not always be possible to do so. The current terms in use by the deaf community today are deaf and hard of hearing. If combining subpopulations in writing, ensure American Indians and Alaska Natives from tribes located in what is now called the United States are not included in the immigrant category. They are individuals who can do some things and cant do other things. Even the term "disability" is not universally accepted. Specific disorders are types of mental illness and should be used whenever possible (for example, when not referring to people with different mental health disorders collectively). As Michelle Swan says in her essay My Needs are not Special, "My needs are not special, they are just my needs, and I have the same right to have my needs met as any other person.". This is where Ive come to, but if you look back through my blog, youll see a few years ago I was a very different person. disability, speech disorder, or communication disability ; CP victim, spastic . I love how you captured that a person is who they are first, and the disability, in whatever form is secondary to that. Emphasizes the heart string or telethon-ish perspective. Embracing the word disabled, fighting the urge and the conditioning that demands we distance ourselves from it, is a powerful illustration of self-determination in action. In regards to accessible facilities: Acceptable: accessible toilets/parking, parking for blue or orange badge holders. Were not doing disabled people a favor by giving them a ramp. Lets try and follow a story arc. for over a decade. Yet many well-meaning, but misinformed, people persist in referring to us as "hearing impaired.". Consider using the terms sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. Is that person over there going to jump on me? Humanizingphrases emphasize the person even if the adjective of the disability is included. The add-on phrase "with a disability," for example, effectively dissociates the disability from the person. It also reflects how some disabled people experience their disabilities, as simply an aspect of themselves, but not something that defines them. Older buildings that lack ramps for wheelchair access, for example, present a handicap for people who use wheelchairs. The terms used for people with disabilities all too frequently perpetuate stereotypes and false ideas. People/communities of color is a frequently used term, but should only be used if included groups are defined upon first use; be mindful to refer to a specific racial/ethnic group(s) instead of this collective term when the experience is different across groups. Note: Tribes, American Indian and Alaska Native urban communities, and federal agencies define AI/AN Elders aged 55 years. You have rejected additional cookies. No, theyre not. Those are words that have evolved but still carry some of their original meaning. Its not negative. If the word is okay with YOU, will it be okay with THEM? This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inclusive-communication/inclusive-language-words-to-use-and-avoid-when-writing-about-disability. Its the constant little pin-pricks of being called what we specifically ask to NOT be called from the handi-capable, special needs, the references to wheelchair bound, and the differently-abled.. Some use words to unify the diverse disability community, while others strive for specificity and ever finer distinctions between different disabilities and communities. The backlash began in the United States in the early 1990s when conservative intellectuals began to use "political correctness" to criticize the left for imposing their views on . Thus, someone with congenital blindness has a disability, as does someone who must use a wheelchair for mobility purposes. Dont include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details. Because my son uses a wheelchair and because quite often we go out in public just the two of us, we often have trouble accessing doors. Take note of their choices in written language. The word disabled is a description not a group of people. Ive been a person with a disability for most of my life, and a member of the Down syndrome community (thanks to my daughter!) Almost no term is as insulting as a non-disabled person patiently or aggressively explaining to a disabled . Whenever possible, describe specific groups and/or individuals with interest in an activity using relevant names, categories, or descriptions of the nature of their influence or involvement (for example, advisors, consultants, co-owners). They werent viewed as insults at the time. One interesting thing to note is that nearly all of these insulting, offensive terms were once commonly accepted, even clinical descriptions for various disabilities. Andrews has presented and published nationally on a wide range of disability topics. Don't use: "Schizophrenic, psychotic, disturbed, crazy or insane". Disability and disabled work elegantly simply to describe the shared social identity of all people who have any kind of disability. Do not use disabilities as nouns to refer to people. It makes the solutions seem like a favor. We are all judged on how we communicate, no laws are necessary for this age old ritual. As I am trying to grow and learn about ableism, I have tried to go back and update the particularly cringe-worthy ones. What is the politically correct term for the disabled? As with other marginalized groups, we should know by now that refusing to acknowledge or talk about disability as a real experience doesnt make life better for disabled people. They tend to describe everyone and therefore no one.) People are individuals and deserve to be mentioned before or instead of their possible disabilities. Others look around, confused, wondering when the disability words they once learned as progressive suddenly became not only pass, but provocative. In the words of Lawrence Carter-Long: A need isn't special if other people get to take the same thing for granted. Or, we can use generic terms like disability or disabled, that at least attempt to encompass all kinds of physical, mental, cognitive, learning, or sensory disabilities. Roughly speaking, some want to use disability terminology to uplift disabled people or somehow repair the image of disability, while others aim for accuracy, simplicity, and a tone closer to neutrality. Lists. But what if you are not sure what to call people with disabilities or how to refer to them? Now, it's just a term that you should be staying way the hell away from (see this post) "Disability" is a particular way of seeing, hearing, feeling, thinking, moving, learning, sensing, being. Not all people who have had a mental or emotional disability have it forever or to the same degree all the time. A few highlights of the document: Put the person first. Her scholarship is focused on disability issues in psychology, including social justice in reproduction and parenting, disability as diversity and the prevalence disability in the field of psychology. Your email address will not be published. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. Heres one for the numbers geeks out there. From actual disabled people. Special needs WAS an educational term, not a disability term. Several months ago, I did a blog post about People First Language, and why it shouldnt be mandated. Not everyone will agree on everything but there is general agreement on some basic guidelines. The first term handicap refers to an obstacle imposed on people by some constraint in the environment. Such undue praise can marginalize, isolate, or unduly glorify what is a medical fact or quality that is but one part of the individual's experience. What are politically correct terms? Do not call someone 'brave' or 'heroic' simply for living with a disability. A politically correct word or expression is used instead of another one to avoid being offensive: Some people think that "fireman" is a sexist term, and prefer the politically correct term "firefighter." Published: 2009-01-28 - Updated: 2020-05-03 Author: Disabled World | Contact: www.disabled-world.com Peer-Reviewed Publication: N/A Additional References: Disability Awareness Publications Synopsis: Examples and information on the language of disability awareness to make your talks more sensitive, accurate and inclusive . As you also know from your own experience, education is key to improving all of our lives. Wed like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. They're not strangers. They are somebody's son, somebody's daughter. American Indian and Alaska Natives are the only federally recognized political minority in the United States. The concept has been discussed, disputed, criticized, and satirized by commentators from across the political spectrum. Check to see which term individuals might prefer. v. t. e. The following is a list of terms, used to describe disabilities or people with disabilities, which may carry negative connotations or be offensive to people with or without disabilities. Like, nervousness about saying something offensive. I will still make mistakes. One reasonable possibility is to use person-first and identity-first language interchangeably unless or until you know that in a given situation one is clearly preferred. Are you friggin kidding me? Is Special Needs Offensive? When in doubt, keep it simple. It should be noted however, that the same terminology does not necessarily apply in other countries. IMHO, and not too much of a mouth-ful (as developmentally disabled tends to be). Say the word: disability. Deaf, and neurodiverse herself, shes a gardening nerd who loves cats, Star Trek, and takes her coffee hot and black. I had a lot of fun with the gifs. Its use may be considered on an audience-specific basis. Sometimes groups of disabled people make their own consensus choices, such as Little People, and Deaf people who capitalize the D in Deaf because they view it as a culture defined by language, like French. Use disabled people not the disabled as the collective term. A disability is present when activities usually performed by people (such as walking, talking, reading or learning) are in some way restricted. Disabled people needto get access to community transit, theaters, restaurants, swimming pools, shopping malls, and everything else that you and I access without even thinking about it. As Michelle Swan says in her essay My Needs are not Special, My needs are not special, they are just my needs, and I have the same right to have my needs met as any other person.. Knowing how to sensitively refer to members of diverse groups is also important. Other disabilities are not necessarily apparent, for example, acquired brain injury or chronic depression. We can name specific types of disability, like cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, amputee, or blind. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Use language that respects disabled people as active individuals with control over their own lives. Mortal flesh heals quicker than an immortal soul, and that soul is what has the potential to be hurt in a word. However, conscious thought about what we say, and when we say it, may help to more positively reshape how we communicate about disability in society. Inaccurate reference; a person is NOT a condition. And the weariness easily switches to wariness. Lets try and write our way through the whole arc of our connection with disability, and then lets gather the posts at the, Read More Summer Blog Hop Series: Challenge!Continue, [vc_row][vc_column][vc_message message_box_style=outline style=round]This is an opinion post about recognizing and leaning into moments that can transform us, specifically, moments related to disability acceptance. Indian Country is generally used in context and is rarely used as a stand-alone it typically is used in writing only after American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) has already been used, and the writer wants to avoid continuing to repeat AI/AN or tribes and refer more broadly to the general wide community of AI/AN peoples and tribes. Field Placement & Career Accommodations and Resources. It is a means through which many of us live our lives, a platform of existence. However, many deaf people whose first language is BSL consider themselves part of the deaf community they may describe themselves as Deaf, with a capital D, to emphasise their deaf identity. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance. Disability. Synonyms for DISABLED: impaired, challenged, deaf, blind, paralyzed, differently abled, exceptional, incapacitated; Antonyms of DISABLED: nondisabled, abled . But after 8 years of blogging, it will take me forever to find every instance where it says special needs and replace it. I mean, first of all, good God anyone who knows any Downs person knows what a blessing these people are to the lives of everyone who knows them. Older people. For example, a statement comparing parents with parents of color implies that White parents are the norm against which others (parents of color) are compared. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. or man with a disability. Whats the right way to refer to someone in a wheelchair, or a someone who cant see, or see well, or a person who cant hear, or hear well, someone who doesnt speak, who has noticeable trouble understanding things, someone who is sick a lot, or always in pain, or who just seems strange or off in some undefinable way? More Appropriate: people who are developmentally disabled have Downs Syndrome, Less Appropriate: Sam is epileptic, Tony is CP (cerebral palsied),- spastic, Helen is LD (learning disabled), is AD/HD. If you want to hear me reading this, just click the link below. The term "hearing impaired" was supposed to be the politically correct term to be used when referring to all deaf and hard of hearing people in a collective sense. Consider using people with health conditions or impairments if it seems more appropriate. Be aware that not every family is the same, and that some children are not being raised by their biological parents. Your email address will not be published. People who use wheelchairs go for walks and people with visual impairments may be very pleased or not to see you. Build flexibility into communications and surveys to allow full participation. Using disability language that puts the people first, then mentioning their disabilities when appropriate, is the preferred and recommended language according to ADA guidelines and documents. Term Now Used: disabled person, person with a disability. In 2013, Dunn received the American Psychological Foundation's Charles L. Brewer Award for Distinguished Teaching of Psychology. No. Even as I describe people as being visually impaired, I have already stepped into word doo-doo. In between my life lived with disabilities and being a parent of a child with a disability, Ive seen an awful lot of upset over words that are directed towards the disability community, however inadvertently. Perhaps the thinking is if we can make disability a positive thing than we can diminish our own fears about the . I know just like most of you do as well that there is a certain amount of weariness felt by members outside of our community.