{"id":261,"date":"2012-01-31T10:11:28","date_gmt":"2012-01-31T17:11:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/dasblog\/?p=261"},"modified":"2012-01-31T10:34:13","modified_gmt":"2012-01-31T17:34:13","slug":"ableism-and-language","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/dasblog\/2012\/01\/31\/ableism-and-language\/","title":{"rendered":"Ableism and Language"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is ableism?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ableism is manifested in our society in a variety of ways. Thomas Hehir, a disability activist and scholar describes ableism as \u201cthe devaluation of disability that, resulting in societal attitudes that uncritically assert that it is better for a child to walk than roll, speak than sign, read print than read Braille, spell independently than use a spell-check, and hang out with non-disabled kids as opposed to other disabled kids\u201d (Hehir, 2002).<\/p>\n

There is an English proverb that states, \u201cSticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.\u201d American society attempts to condition children to be \u201ctough\u201d and to ignore hurtful words and actions. Unfortunately words do hurt<\/em><\/strong>, and negative words, bullying, and being insensitive can have a pervasive impact on individuals.<\/p>\n

Whether the words are used unconsciously or consciously doesn\u2019t reduce the impact. Solorzano, Ceja, and Yosso (2001) explain this using their term \u201cmicroaggressions,\u201d which are the unconscious, automatic, and subtle insults directed towards a minority group. The insults can be verbal, non-verbal or visual. Often times these insults occur without the offender even being aware that their actions are negatively impacting others.<\/p>\n

Research has shown that the cumulative effect of microaggresions can negatively impact both individuals and communities. Pierce (1995) explains the impact of prolonged exposure to discrimination, \u201cIn and of itself a microaggression may seem harmless, but the cumulative burden of a lifetime if microaggressions can theoretically contribute to a diminished mortality, augmented morbidity, and a flattened confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n

Person First Language<\/strong><\/p>\n

A simple rule to follow when speaking about people with disabilities is to acknowledge the disability, but put the person <\/em>first. For example: \u201cPerson with a Disability\u201d rather than \u201cDisabled Person.\u201d Person first language is a term and a movement based out of the disability rights movement and other advocacy groups beginning in the 1980\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Person-first language has been prescribed by advocacy groups, universities, and professional journals and associations as a linguistic norm; however its use has faced criticism. C. Edwin Vaughan states, \u201cMany blind people are proud of the accomplishments of their brothers and sisters. Just as black became beautiful, blind is no longer a symbol of shame. To say, “I am blind” or “I am a blind person” no longer seems negative to many, particularly those groups with existential interest in the topic\u201d (Vaughan, 2009). <\/p>\n

There is no hard and fast rule relating to political correctness or etiquette in relation to disabilities. \u00a0*The following table presents some terms that are considered to be discriminatory and some alternative language that is more inclusive.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Non-inclusive discriminatory language<\/strong> <\/strong><\/td>\nInclusive language<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u201cspecial\u201d <\/strong> <\/p>\n

\u201cspecial needs\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cspecial bus\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cspecial treatment\u201d<\/strong><\/td>\n

Frames accommodations for a disability as \u201cspecial treatment,\u201d indicates that accommodations are a nuisance, a hassle, or something that isn\u2019t really necessary. <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Inclusive terminology: <\/strong>Person(s) with disabilities, accommodations, education for people with disabilities.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\u201cthe disabled\u201d <\/strong> <\/p>\n

\u201cdisabled people\u201d<\/strong><\/td>\n

People with disabilities are not a homogeneous group. \u201cDisabled people\u201d puts the disability before the person. <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Inclusive terminology: <\/strong>Person(s)\/people\/individuals with disabilities<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\u201cwheelchair bound\u201d <\/strong> <\/strong> <\/p>\n

\u201cconfined to a wheelchair\u201d<\/strong><\/td>\n

It\u2019s important to remember that not all people who use wheelchairs use them all the time. Confined\/bound frames using a wheelchair as a negative\/constricting experience. <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Inclusive terminology:<\/strong> \u201cJulie is a full time wheelchair user,\u201d \u201cJulio is a part time wheelchair user.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\u201cSuffers from\/sufferer\/victim of\u201d <\/strong> <\/strong> <\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

Example: \u201cConsuelo suffers from depression.\u201d \u201cGunther is a victim of a traumatic brain injury.\u201d<\/strong> <\/strong><\/td>\n

We shouldn\u2019t assume that a person with a disability is a victim or is suffering. Someone can be suffering and<\/em> have a disability, but that doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that the person is suffering because<\/em> of the disability. <\/p>\n

Inclusive terminology: <\/strong>\u201cConsuelo has depression.\u201d \u201cGunther has a traumatic brain injury.\u201d These framings are value neutral. They provide information on the disability a person has, without turning victimizing them.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\u201cmentally disabled\u201d<\/strong> <\/strong><\/td>\nThis term I vague, do you mean an intellectual or cognitive disability? \u201cMentally disabled,\u201d in addition to often being read (and used) as a slur, is not terribly accurate. Any number of disabilities can involve the brain. <\/p>\n

Inclusive terminology: <\/strong>Cognitive, intellectual, or psychological disability.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\u201cphysically challenged\u201d<\/strong> <\/strong><\/td>\nDisability is often framed as a \u201cchallenge\u201d that must be \u201covercome\u201d pressure is put on people with disabilities to be \u201cbrave.\u201d <\/p>\n

Inclusive terminology:<\/strong> Person(s)\/people\/individuals with physical disabilities.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\u201ccrazy\u201d<\/strong> <\/strong><\/td>\nCan be a destructive word, used to hurt people with mental disabilities. It\u2019s used to discredit, to marginalize, and to shame people with psychological disabilities. Discourages people who have psychological disabilities to self-identify. <\/p>\n

Inclusive terminology:<\/strong> Person(s)\/people\/individuals with mental health problems, difficulties or conditions.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\u201cspaz\u201d<\/strong> <\/strong><\/td>\nSpaz\/spak, both derived from \u201cspastic\u201d or other variations. Someone who is behaving erratically is spazzing or spakking out.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u201clame\u201d<\/strong> <\/strong> <\/p>\n

\u201cgimp\u201d<\/strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cretarded\u201d<\/strong><\/td>\n

The use of the words lame, gimp, or retarded reinforces an underlying assumption that people who have a disability are also lesser and worthy of scorn, which in turn reinforces the underlying assumption that people with disabilities are inherently less than those without disabilities.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u201cDeaf and dumb\u201d<\/strong> <\/strong><\/td>\nThe original meaning of the phrase \u201cdeaf and dumb\u201d was deaf (unable to hear) and unable to speak. It is an archaic and highly offensive phrase. Many Deaf people are able to speak. \u201cDumb\u201d is also a synonym for \u201cstupid.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ableism and Language written by: Jennifer Gossett for the What is Ableism? Workshop on November 15th, 2010<\/strong><\/p>\n

References <\/strong><\/p>\n

Solorzano, D., Ceja, M., & Yosso, T. (2000). Critical race theory, racial microaggressions, and campus racial climate. The Journal of Negro Education, Winter 2000<\/em>(69), 60-73.<\/p>\n

Pierce, C. (1995). Stress analogs of racism and sexism: Terrorism, torture, and disaster. In C. Willie, P. Rieker, B. Kramer, & B. Brown (Eds.), Mental health, racism, and sexism<\/em> (pp. 277-293). Pitssburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press.<\/p>\n

Hehir, T. (2002). Eliminating ableism in education. Harvard Educational Review, 72<\/em>(1), 1-33.<\/p>\n

*Content for the table was collected and adapted from the following blogs:<\/p>\n

http:\/\/disabledfeminists.com\/2010\/07\/06\/ableist-word-profile-special\/<\/a><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.feministe.us\/blog\/archives\/2010\/06\/18\/disability-terminology-a-starter-kit-for-nondisabled-people-and-the-media\/<\/a><\/p>\n

http:\/\/disabledfeminists.com\/2010\/05\/17\/guest-post-from-rmj-ableist-word-profile-crazy\/<\/a><\/p>\n

http:\/\/disabledfeminists.com\/2009\/12\/04\/ableist-word-profile-spazspak\/<\/a><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.nfb.org\/images\/nfb\/Publications\/bm\/bm09\/bm0903\/bm090309.htm<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

More resources<\/strong><\/p>\n

Online PDFs:<\/strong><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.unitedspinal.org\/pdf\/DisabilityEtiquette.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.dads.state.tx.us\/news_info\/publications\/brochures\/931_people_first_language.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n

Book:<\/strong> Microaggressions and Marginality: Manifestation, Dynamics, and Impact, Edited by Derald Wing Sue<\/p>\n

Websites: <\/strong><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.disabilityisnatural.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.asha.org\/publications\/journals\/submissions\/person_first.htm<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is ableism? Ableism is manifested in our society in a variety of ways. Thomas Hehir, a disability activist and scholar describes ableism as \u201cthe devaluation of disability that, resulting in societal attitudes that uncritically assert that it is better for a child to walk than roll, speak than sign, read print than read Braille,… Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":302,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[102031],"tags":[39947,102029,102030],"class_list":["post-261","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-awareness","tag-ableism","tag-disability-awareness","tag-person-first-language"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/dasblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/261","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/dasblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/dasblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/dasblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/302"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/dasblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=261"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/dasblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/261\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":289,"href":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/dasblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/261\/revisions\/289"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/dasblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/dasblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=261"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/dasblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}