THE POWER OF WORDS

I’ve never been a fan of terms like “handi-capable,” “differently-abled,” and “special” when it comes to describing people with disabilities. They come off as trivializing, and make it sound like folks can’t deal honestly with their disabilities. I always imagine such terms were coined by someone who has never lived with a disability and dots each letter “i” with a tiny heart.

 

I dislike the word “handicapped” but I’m cool with the word “disabled.” And I’m a fan of people-first language. For those unfamiliar with the term, PFL is a way of speaking and referring to people with disabilities that respects them as human beings, rather than dehumanizes them. It emphasizes the person first and the disability, second. A man with a disability, not a disabled man. A woman who is blind, not a blind woman.

 

PFL represents more respectful, accurate ways of communicating. People with disabilities are not their diagnoses or disabilities; they are people, first.

 

I also cringe when I see disability stereotypes trotted out by the media. You’ve probably seen them yourself. Putting the person with a disability on a pedestal. Depicting a person with a disability as dependent or as an object of pity. Representing the person as having special talents or abilities because of his or her disability, i.e. the blind person who’s musically gifted.

 

I could live a long, happy life without ever again reading one more tear-jerking human interest story about incurable diseases or severe injuries. I’d like to see more stories that focus on issues of quality of life for folks who are disabled. Issues such as accessible transportation, housing, employment opportunities and social interaction.

 

Disability is a natural part of the human condition. The folks with disabilities I’ve met (and myself, too) would rather be known for the things that reflect on their character or their essence as human beings. They would rather be known as a devoted parent or a successful attorney or an amateur gourmet chef rather than as someone with a brace on their leg or someone who wears hearing aids.

 

So, please: no more heroic overachievers or long-suffering saints. No more cutesy terms that set the teeth on edge. No more stigmatizing words that leave a sting.

 

Just people – like everyone else.