Words do make a difference. How we refer to persons with disabilities is a reflection of how we view those same persons. How we view people with disabilities will definitely determine how we treat them.
When I hear professionals in the diversity field refer to persons with disabilities as "the disabled" I cringe. When I hear the media refer to someone as "handicapped" I get angry. Other terms, like hearing-impaired, wheelchair bound, confined to a wheelchair all make me realize how far we have to go.
I don't think there's much of an excuse for diversity professionals or persons working in the disability arena to not know the proper terminology. And, while I'm at it, don't even think of calling it politically correct. That just diminishes the importance of proper terminology. If you respect someone, you refer to them properly. Professionals in the disability field or in diversity have an obligation to know and use the proper terminology in order to inform others.
Similarly, reporters and other related media professionals are there to inform the public. They too have an obligation to use appropriate terms. After all, they certainly know better than to refer to other minorities by terms that they find offensive.
So how are these terms so offensive?
Having a disability is a statement of fact. It is something that exists but it doesn't define a person. Being disabled is an attitude or a condition that is the result of something else. For example, I have a disability but if I want to go to a restaurant with stairs I become disabled for that event. The term "handicapped" is particularly offensive. In the sports world, handicapped is a way of leveling the playing field. Believe it or not, having a disability does not do that. There is also the belief that that term comes from a time when persons with disabilities would beg cap in hand. Could anything be more offensive?
Some people are afraid to refer to people as having disabilities, so they use euphemisms like "challenged" or "differently abled". Really? We are adults. We have abilities and we have disabilities. No need to skirt the issue. It’s where you focus that is important.
Person-first language avoids all that nonsense. The emphasis is on the person, where it should be. Why is this so hard to understand?
Annette Bourbonniere
401-846-1960
Fax: 401-846-1944
Twitter: @AccessInclude
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