Disability Is Not A Bad Word
Disability is not a bad word.
Disability is not a bad word.
Disability is not a bad word.
Disability is not a bad word.
This post should be as simple as that, but it’s important to provide context.
When my son was diagnosed with a disability at three, I turned to Google to learn the appropriate terminology and guidelines for discussing and writing about disability online. Assuming expertise of the most prestigious universities, I started using their recommended terminology, like “differently abled”. Thank goodness for social media, because I was way off base.
Rather than turning to academia, it’s really important to listen to and learn from people with disabilities. One of the first creators that I came across was @disabilityreframed. Ashley “has a lifetime of lived experience as a disabled woman with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy” and uses her platform to change perspectives, educate, and create conversation. I can’t recommend following her enough as she gives perspective, answers the tough questions, and advocates fiercely.
Here are three lessons I’ve learned about the word disability from following Ashley:
Stop talking around the word disability. Terms like special needs, differently abled, and medically complex are all ways of talking around the word disability. When we continue to talk around the word, it creates stigma and perpetuates the problem. It’s also patronizing and often doesn’t make sense. Disability is not a bad word.
The difference between person first and identify first language, and the fact that preferences vary.
Person First: person with a disability
Identity First: disabled person
Below is a poll showing a majority of @disabilityreframed’s followers preferring identity first language, but 40% of her followers still prefer person first!
3. Let disabled people lead. They have the lived experience, they are the experts, we should defer to them as the experts. Here’s a list of creators and influencers to follow.
For straightforward, no BS, thought-provoking posts like the one below, be sure to follow along at @disabilityreframed.
Changing long-held stances, like calling accessible education special education, takes work and can be uncomfortable for some. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
