Category: The Language of disability

Reflecting on the Fact that Hans Asperger was Really a Nazi and not just Working from the Inside to Protect Vulnerable People

~ crippledscholar ~ 1 Comment

There have been a couple major articles written about Hans Asperger, the man who categorized what would eventually be called Asperger's Syndrome and then eventually just folded into the autism spectrum. These articles, the first of which was printed in the New York Times and the second in The Guardian both discuss Asperger's history prior … Continue reading Reflecting on the Fact that Hans Asperger was Really a Nazi and not just Working from the Inside to Protect Vulnerable People

I Like That, I Want That, Can I Have That?: When NonAutistic People Don’t Understand Autistic Communication and Punish Us For It.

~ crippledscholar ~ 8 Comments

When I was a child and I answered the phone I didn't say "hello", I said "What?". My mother was constantly horrified at my supposed rudeness and would try and make sure that someone, anyone got to the phone before me. The thing is though, that I wasn't being rude or at least I didn't think … Continue reading I Like That, I Want That, Can I Have That?: When NonAutistic People Don’t Understand Autistic Communication and Punish Us For It.

Euphemisms for Disability are Infantalizing

~ crippledscholar ~ 9 Comments

  I have written about the importance of language as it relates to disability before. To oppose the idea that clear language should be avoided in favour of what can best be described as pretending difference doesn't exist to opposing the replacement of clear language with euphemisms. Euphemisms are rampant in disability discourse. There is … Continue reading Euphemisms for Disability are Infantalizing

Labels aren’t Just for Jars: Give Kids the Words to Understand their Lives

~ crippledscholar ~ 10 Comments

Image Description: a hand places disability label cards onto illustrations of children. Still taken from video in post. Yesterday, on Twitter someone shared this video and asked me for my thoughts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK0KG5vKCO0 Video description: A mostly unnarrated video in which a pair of hands puts labels on illustrated jars like jam, peaches, pickles etc. Then … Continue reading Labels aren’t Just for Jars: Give Kids the Words to Understand their Lives

Could You Please Stop Insisting that People Have to Use Person First Language

~ crippledscholar ~ 8 Comments

There are so many of those lists explaining how to speak to disabled people respectfully. They are generally well intentioned and some of them are even really good. There is however an almost universal element that I wish would be retired. They inevitably include a statement that disabled people should ALWAYS be referred to using … Continue reading Could You Please Stop Insisting that People Have to Use Person First Language

Why Are You Complaining? Some People Actually Feel That Way: A Critique of Me Before You

~ crippledscholar ~ 60 Comments

Warning: This post includes comprehensive spoilers for the book Me Before You, a book that deals with disability and assisted suicide. It also deals with sexual assault.   It has taken me months to get all the way through Jojo Moyes' 2012 novel Me Before You. This protrated reading can be explained by two things. … Continue reading Why Are You Complaining? Some People Actually Feel That Way: A Critique of Me Before You

What Learning Other Languages has Taught Me About How I Learned to Talk About Disability

~ crippledscholar ~ 5 Comments

I am an anglophone, so I first learned to speak English and it is the language I use almost exclusively day to day. I however spent my first six years of elementary school in French immersion which despite having been nearly twenty years ago at this point has left me functionally fluent in French. By … Continue reading What Learning Other Languages has Taught Me About How I Learned to Talk About Disability