As I have written about before, language usage is important when considering how disabled people are viewed and portrayed in society. While I personally prefer to not use person first language, there is one situation where the person should always come first. This is when an actual diagnosis is being discussed. I will demonstrate: Person … Continue reading Hey People: Diagnoses are Nouns not Adjectives
Tag: autism
When Your Disability isn’t Considered in Grade School
I have hemiplegic cerebral palsy and am on the autism spectrum. I wasn't diagnosed with the latter until I was eighteen and had already graduated high school. In some ways the total lack of knowledge my parents had about cerebral palsy contributed to this lack of diagnosis. My extreme sensitivity to touch and textures was … Continue reading When Your Disability isn’t Considered in Grade School
Open Letter to People Who Want to Pray that I be Healed
Dear Religious Person I am writing this in response to your unsolicited offer to pray that God will heal me of my disability. Thank you so much for your unsolicited concern for my health while I was just going about my day. I may have been doing any of the following. Walking home from school … Continue reading Open Letter to People Who Want to Pray that I be Healed
Why I Don’t Use People First Language: A Brief History of My Relationship with the Language and Disability
I am going to be clear up front, this is NOT a condemnation of person first language or the people that use it. I always endeavor to refer to people respectfully which includes using their preferred labels. This is rather a case of personal opinion and a reflection on how the language of disability is … Continue reading Why I Don’t Use People First Language: A Brief History of My Relationship with the Language and Disability
Why saying “Everyone has some kind of Disability” is a Lie
It's not an uncommon refrain when trying to build empathy for disabled people, just say "Everyone has some kind of disability, some are just more obvious than others. All kinds of people say this. Hell, I distinctly recall uttering myself one day during a planned day of disability education in fifth grade. A day that … Continue reading Why saying “Everyone has some kind of Disability” is a Lie
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