Recently, there has been a push to use people-first language regarding disabilities, which would involve saying “person with a disability,” whereas “disabled person” would be considered identity-first.
Considering this from a language perspective, we would not say “person with a tall stature” or “person with a female identity”; we would say “tall person” or “woman”. So why is disability different? Even for other minorities, we don’t say “person with a gay identity”; we would simply say gay. Saying a person with a gay identity not only separates the person from their identity, but also makes it sound like a problem that needs to be solved, which is, of course, completely untrue.
As somebody who does indeed have a disability, lives in a family full of disability, has several friends who are disabled, and has worked with disabled children and adults, I have an opinion on this matter. I have osteogenesis imperfecta (or OI), which essentially means that my collagen doesn’t like to do what it’s meant to, and my bones are much more fragile and break more frequently than yours as a result. It is genetic, and my dad has the same thing and uses a wheelchair.
My mom is completely, 100% blind and has a guide dog as well as a cane that she uses to navigate on her own. Over the summer, I worked at Timber Pointe Outdoor Center, which is a summer camp program for disabled children and adults, where I worked with a range of campers with all different diagnoses.
I will never claim to speak for everybody who identifies as disabled, but my personal experience on this matter may be different from what you’d expect.
The movement has pushed for alternative language altogether, like “differently-abled”, “special ability”, “special needs”, or “dis/abled”. While the movement began as a positive one, relating to highly stigmatized disabilities, like AIDS or schizophrenia, in times where acceptance was at its lowest, changing something (no matter how small) and using it as a tool to get others to respect them and see them as equals. However, the nondisabled community took that as a sign to extend it to all disabilities without asking the community it was affecting first.
The intentions behind these are nice, but the impact is absolutely not. It takes our disability identity and puts it outside of ourselves and onto society. In my case, the term “osteogenesis imperfecta person” just doesn’t make much sense, but a person with OI does.
As you can see, most of this is based in the nondisabled community, whether it’s their comfort, their ideas, or their interpretations. Nobody seems to think to ask the individual in front of them what they prefer, as they prioritize their own comfort and previous teachings, usually taught or “researched” by nondisabled people.
I will not argue that many barriers in this world block disabled people from fully participating in the world around them, and that is a huge issue that needs solving. But society or a special or different ability does not cause me to break my bones, it does not cause my mom’s blindness, it does not cause those with chronic pain to feel pain. It also again separates us from our identity and invalidates any internal struggles we may have as a result of our disabilities that are not directly related to society, which absolutely do exist. Disabled is NOT a bad word, something that is wrong, or something we should avoid saying. Believe it or not, many disabled people don’t think of their disability as a problem, or even something they want to cure.
Disability runs through the core of my family. My dad and I are closer because we share the same diagnosis, and can laugh together through the breaks. My mom’s blindness has exposed me to amazing service dogs, and many of our family friends are also blind. We went to guide dog conventions, OI conventions, and were deeply involved in the OI community when I was growing up. I made friends with my medical staff, and they inspired me to pursue a psychology major today.
My disability makes me passionate about being an advocate, guides me to my career choices, and helps me find a community where I belong. So why am I being told to separate myself from my own identity?
It is important to remember that disabled people are individuals and have their own opinions. Many of which may be different from my own. The best piece of advice you can take is to ASK! Talk to disabled people like they are people, ask their preferences, and stick to identity-first or person-first language unless somebody requests otherwise.
