what is the politically correct term for disabled?

In itself, its not a negative or a positive necessarily in terms of describing the person or experience, but something which combines with everything else to make you, YOU. The Gift of a Moment: Understanding Difficult Times and Choices, 4 Ideas for Developing A Strong Leadership Pipeline with Disabled Youth, by Corbett OToole, Sibling Series: Patti Guest Posts in an Interview with her kids. To me, that is not how you educate someone. Theres nothing wrong with trying to avoid offending others. 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. So while moron and idiot in the 19th and early 20th centuries were clinical terms for different levels of intellectual disability, the horrifically disdainful and disgusted opinions about intellectually disabled people helped make those words insulting, at the time and especially today. They werent viewed as insults at the time. Build flexibility into communications and surveys to allow full participation. When in doubt, keep it simple. Why? It may refer to a physical, sensory, or mental condition. When in doubt, then, the wisest and kindest choice is simply to ask people about their preferences. Politically Correct Language of Disability | Disabled World For example, consider: People with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Dwarfism is a medical or genetic condition that usually results in an adult height of 4'10" or shorter, although in some cases a person with a form of dwarfism may be slightly taller than that. The word has been around for centuries, but was not used to refer to people with disabilities until the late 1800s. Note: Tribes, American Indian and Alaska Native urban communities, and federal agencies define AI/AN Elders aged 55 years. Shifting your perspective can help you reframe how you think and speak about people with mental illnesses and similar stigmatized subjects. Some people say that using different terms to refer to people gives in to a movement to be politically correct. Consider using the terms sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. For example "disabled people" should be used rather than "the disabled". No, theyre not. Obviously, its impossible to satisfy everyone. Denies other aspects of the person. The terms used for people with disabilities all too frequently perpetuate stereotypes and false ideas. What is the politically correct term for learning disability? A second meaning of this adjective is inferior. (Often disabled individuals will use these terms in reference to each other but for others to use them, it might be similar to a white person using the term the N word. By deciding what we want to call ourselves, owning it, we claim our power and celebrate the history and the community advocacy that made it possible.. 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. We are all at different points on our journey and learning and language and vernacular are constantly changing. I am a disabled person. Other disabilities are not necessarily apparent, for example, acquired brain injury or chronic depression. Examples: contributors, community, community members, community impacted, community affected, community of solution, coalition members, allies, colleagues, clients, tribes, advocacy groups, interested parties/groups, implementing partners, working partners, funders. So here we go. Wheelchair user is now a term that has been coined. Comment: Terms are outdated and stigmatizing. 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. Dunn, D. S., & Andrews, E. (2015). They're not strangers. Paralyzed, spastic, and victim are no longer used terms. Incapacitated. I think the important thing though is NOT whether either is "politically correct" but what is helpful or hurtful! Disabled people, their families and friends, their allies and casual acquaintances, and their antagonists cant agree on which words strike the right balance between accuracy, clarity, realism, and positivity. These cookies may also be used for advertising purposes by these third parties. I think whats important is that we all acknowledge that were on different parts of this journey and have things to learn. "Visual impairment" is considered the accepted and politically correct term for describing the whole spectrum of vision, or the lack thereof, experienced by people with a visual disability. A few highlights of the document: Put the person first. Emphasizes the medical aspects of a condition instead of the person. This doesnt help someone who is looking for the politically correct term for special needs to put on their resume from a job in education back when special needs was the correct term. Similarly, placing people with disabilities on a pedestal ("You are so brave to keep trying despite your disability! In the meantime, the best thing for all of us, disabled or not, is to follow these kinds of basic guidelines, listen to disabled people, and relax a little. We are carefully taught by one wave of credible activists and diversity consultants to say people with disabilities, only to be told by a later generation of disabled people that this diminishes the experience and meaning of disability, and is in any case awkward and a little condescending. As you also know from your own experience, education is key to improving all of our lives. Organizations that value differences reflect it in their communication. any physical or mental defect, congenital or acquired, preventing or restricting a person from . I will use them interchangeably too. 7 Appropriate Things To Say Instead Of "Crippled" - Grammarhow Those are words that have evolved but still carry some of their original meaning. IMHO, and not too much of a mouth-ful (as developmentally disabled tends to be). We're black." 38. Disability Terminology: Etiquette, Culture, and Choosing the Right Words Not all members of the disability community think person-first language is the best choice. Some try to use language to reshape the entire concept of disability, or redefine it out of existence somehow. More Appropriate: Bob has polio, has a spinal cord injury, has AIDS, Less Appropriate: confined to a wheelchair, wheelchair-bound, wheel-chaired. This difference may be because of race, gender, beliefs, religion, sexual orientation, or because they have a mental or physical disability, or any difference from what most people believe is normal. 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! What's The Politically Correct Term for Disabled Person? (With Gifs) In that post she said, I also want to say that Im just one person, going through my process. Emily Ladau of Words I Wheel By had some very prophetic and profound thoughts on this. Thank you for taking the time to confirm your preferences. First, what does disability itself mean? Comment: Terms reflect negative and tragedy and connote pitiful helplessness, dependency, defeat. Some terms, like special needs, are popular in certain circles, for certain purposes, but almost entirely irrelevant to actual disabled people who are old enough to have developed their own understanding of their disabilities. Lawrence Carter-Long, who founded the movement called Disabled, Say the Word, says, "The language we use mirrors the ways we think," he says. 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. I occasionally get email from folks, and much of it is condescending and patronizing, telling me to use PFL and stuff. Part of an identity. Nothing is ever 100%. Is disability a politically correct term? - TimesMojo I completely get it and I dont think there are easy answers because I think so much of this depends on individual preference. That makes it tricky, you know, for allies to the disabled/Down syndrome parent community. "Person with a Disability" is a more inclusive, less biased term to describe someone who is disabled . This claiming can be about disability more generally or with regards to a particular disability. Dont automatically refer to disabled people in all communications many people who need disability benefits and services dont identify with this term. As a nephew of a Downs uncle (whom I am proudly named after), and an enthusiastic supporter of the community, long-time S.O. An inclusive and diverse environment isn't just about hiring people that "look good" on the brochure. The social psychology of disability. What is the politically correct way to say special needs? 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. Even U.S. law has changed from using the term "mental retardation" to the term "intellectual disability." Just Politically Correct? Which is the correct term, disability rights or handicapped rights? All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services. Field Placement & Career Accommodations and Resources. Impairment A philosophical observation: By using the term impaired, society has expanded the meaning of the word, making it less precise. Avoid phrases like suffers from which suggest discomfort, constant pain and a sense of hopelessness. Unhandicap Your Language. They're just in trouble, but there's a way to help them.". One approach encourages a degree of positive emotionalism and persuasion to be built into disability language. So, what do you do? The language of Disability When referring to disability, the American Psychological Association (APA) urges that it is often best to "put the person first." 4. 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 .