August 3, 2005 2:44 PM
Disabilities P. S.
A few more words and then I'm finished with this topic for a while. (Still have to do !TADA! Tripp and Barbara in New York . Soon.)
I actually prefer the term differently-abled to disabled. As I've said countless times, each of us is disabled in some way, though most of us have disabilities not readily apparent to others - particularly spiritual and emotional.
It is always wrong to speak of those with disabilities as though they cannot speak for themselves.
And political correctness now requires what is known as People First language. Instead of saying a Down syndrome child, we say a child with Down syndrome. Instead of saying "the disabled" we say "people with disabilities" or - as I prefer - "people with different abilities."
I know it makes for awkward writing, and I overlook it sometimes, but it's nice to observe the niceties that others think are important.
Posted in Disabilities | Permalink
Comments
I prefer personally prefer handicapped to disabled, even thought it's politically incorrect. Disabled sounds like a person can't do anything. Handicapped is associated with golf: one player starts out with a greater challenge than the others.
Posted by: Jschutt | August 3, 2005 7:56 PM
My son Joshua, 10yo, came down with diabetes, type I, this last spring, and one of the things that struck me in the reading was the suggestion to say, "He's a child with diabetes," and not "he's a diabetic". (No one would ever say, he's a canceric.) I think the people-first concept is really worthwhile, more for the sake of the one who's saying it, than the one who's being spoken of.
Like this worried mom had to learn to say, 'How are you?' before she said, "what's your blood sugar?"
Posted by: Veronique | August 3, 2005 8:36 PM
Julana - I think you're right. I don't know why handicapped became politically incorrect. it does certainly sound better than disabled, doesn't it? Have you used that term? What kind of feedback fdo you get?
Posted by: barbaracurtis | August 3, 2005 9:33 PM
