What is a disability?
Webster’s defines it as being incapacitated due to illness or injury. In one of her free articles on People First Language, Kathie Snow points out that there is no universally accepted definition of disability. The definition is different depending on which service or program you are trying to qualify for, e.g. vocational rehabilitation, worker’s compensation or SSDI benefits. She believes that the term disability is simply a social construct created to identify, by characteristics associated with a medical condition, those who may be eligible for certain services or legal protections.
The Power of Words
Mark Twain once said the difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.
How true this is.
Words are very powerful. They can lift your spirits or crush them, put you in a good mood for the rest of the day or make you want to lock yourself in your room and hide away from the rest of the world. Old and outdated terms used to refer to a person with a disability can be very hurtful and reinforce negative stereotypes about people with disabilities.
The term "handicapped" has become so outdated and derogatory that it is no longer used in any kind of government paperwork. The H-word, as Kathie Snow refers it to, has its origins in Old English, where it referred to the loser of a lottery-like game who was left with his cap in hand. The term eventually reversed itself to become hand in cap, hand i’ cap and finally, handicap. Further evolution of the word gave it the meaning of leveling out the playing field by imposing some sort of penalty, or impediment, on the stronger competitor. The term parted ways with its original gaming associations and came to mean a physical impairment in the early part of the 20th century.
In the convoluted way that regular words and terms are turned into slang, handicapped began to bring the image of people with disabilities begging on the streets with their cap in hand to people’s minds. Thus began a stereotype.
Bringing About Change
People First Language puts the person before the disability and describes what a person has, not who he is. Kathie Snow and other proponents of People First hope to change attitudes and perceptions about people with disabilities by changing the way the world speaks.
People who happen to use a wheelchair or a walker are more than just their disability. In order for people with disabilities to be fully included and respected in society, language that devalues them and sets them apart from others needs to come to an end.
The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and the Women’s Movement of the 1970s made a significant impact on our language. The Disability Rights Movement is following in these very important footsteps. People who decided that they were more than their disabilities and wanted to be known as such created the concept of People First Language. It isn’t just a question of political correctness anymore; it’s simply good manners and respect for one's fellow human being.
The Other Side
As with any issue, there is another side. There are many people with disabilities who refer to themselves and others with disabilities as crips, gimps and other words and phrases that some see as derogatory. Many of the writers for New Mobility magazine frequently use these terms. A film production company owned and operated by a man with cerebral palsy is called GimpPower Productions.
Proponents of People First argue that these words set back the disability rights movement and belittle people with disabilities. The people who use these words argue that it is perfectly acceptable language and can actually empower people with disabilities.
If there is a middle ground, it hasn’t been found yet. Until it is and if you are worried about offending someone with a disability, simply use a little bit of common sense mixed with some political correctness and your language should be fine.
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