Beyond Disability - The power of language and labels

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Beyond Disability - The power of language and labels

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We've all heard the old saying, " sticks and stones may break my

bones, but words will never hurt me. "

In reality, though, words have power and they can hurt.

By using certain terms to describe people with disabilities, you may

inadvertently be perpetuating negative stereotypes, reinforcing

attitudinal barriers, evoking pity and showing disrespect. There are

many words that seem to be a part of our everyday vocabularies –

" retarded, " " crippled, " " deaf and dumb " and " handicapped, " to name a

few – that are disempowering and just plain insulting and fail to

recognise people beyond their disabilities.

Let's face it, nobody likes being called names. Each and every person

in the world have a wide range of interests, talents, roles and

characteristics. To single out just one of those characteristics and

label someone by that one characteristic only – whether it is his/her

skin colour, ethnicity, weight, or disability – is to deny the many

aspects of the human condition that fit together to make us the

intricate people God created. We would all like to be honoured and

valued for the people we are inside, wouldn't we?

My friend , for example, is a 27-year-old woman with a

university degree. She is a daughter, a friend, and a writer. She

loves travelling, going to the movies, listening to country music,

and going out to eat with her friends. is a computer whiz,

possesses a hilarious sense of humour and has a boyfriend. She has

blonde hair, she has blue eyes and she has cerebral palsy. She is

not " cerebral palsied " or a " wheelchair person " or even

worse, " spastic. " The fact that she has cerebral palsy is just one

part of who she is. Defining her by her disability to the exclusion

of all else ignores the rich tapestry of qualities that make her the

unique and wonderful individual she is.

People do have disabilities, though and sometimes we need to find

words to describe those disabilities. What should we say, then?

A good rule of thumb is to use " person-first language. " In other

words, put the person before the disability and describe what a

person has, not who that person is. A person with a physical

disability may use a wheelchair. A person has autism.

Furthermore, there are some descriptors that are outdated and no

longer considered acceptable. An individual who can't hear is deaf,

not " deaf and dumb. "

This isn't about being politically correct. It's about showing

respect. Above are some examples of person-first language to help

guide you.

Language is a powerful tool that we can use to change perceptions of

individuals with disabilities. If our friends, neighbours and family

members with disabilities are to be included in all aspects of

society and respected and valued as equals, we must stop using

negative labels and begin using more empowering language.

Isn't it time to start making this change? If not now, when? And if

not you, who? Using person-first language is the right thing to do,

so let's do it!

Mindy Nissenberg is a Peace Corps volunteer working with Disabled

People's International – North America and the Caribbean (DPI NAC), a

non-profit organisation that advocates for the rights of individuals

with disabilities throughout the region.