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Be an Advocate for Ddisability Issues!

The lives of people and children with disabilities have dramatically changed over the past 25 years. Fortunately, this change has been for the better - bringing them lives that more closely resemble the lives of those without disabilities. Our world, especially America, is making great strides in recognizing and appreciating diversity, a component of which is disability-related. Media professionals and others who write about people's lives, have unique opportunities to influence perspectives about people with disabilities. The words and images they use can create a straightforward, positive view of people with disabilities or an insensitive portrayal that reinforces common myths, outdated ideas, and a portrayal that is a form of discrimination. All of us must be careful how we portray individuals, especially our children, who have disabilities. Words can be powerful descriptors, both negative and positive, of any person.

Use People First Language

A person is not handicapped.
A person is not disabled.
A person has a disability.

A handicap could be defined as an obstacle which imposes on a person with a disabilty, i.e. inaccessible transportation or buildings, no signage, ect. Handicapped is not a term to describe human beings.
Ditto disabled. What's happening here? More of this "politicaily correct" stuff? No. It's all part of the disability rights movement. And it's been around a lot longer than "PC" jaron.

...time to change the language used to describe children and adults with disabilities.
No more labels! Labels degrade. Labels evoke negative pictures in our heads. Labels don't address individuality - they lump people together and focus on the disability, not on a person and his/her abilities. Society will not change its language unless we insist on the change. We have the right to do so.

Have you ever wondered where the word "handicap" came from? The dictionary has one definition from an old Gaellic term which referred to a person with a disability who had to stand on the street corner begging with his "cap in hand". Is this a term that should be applied to anyone with a disability???

Persons with disabilities want the same things all Americans want:
dignity, respect, and the opportunity to participate fully in American life.

Those achievements are hard to attain when one's being is defined by a label:
hanicapped, disabled, mentaily retarded, crippled, autistic, blind, deaf, ect...
Traditionaily, our society has not excepted much from a person with a label. This is changing now, for people with disabilities are more like people without disabilities than they are different!
A disability is simply only one aspect of the sum total of a unique individual.

NO MORE LABELS!!!
Instead, PEOLPE FIRST LANGUAGE (PFL)!
What is this? It focuses on the person first, the disability last. How do you know what it is?
It describes what the person HAS, not what he/she IS.
It's easy, just use your imagination:

people with disabilities

a child with cerebral palsy

my sister has a mental disability

my son has a visual impairment

my sister has a hearing impairment

my daughter has a development delay

my brother has autism

he has an orthopedic disability

Think first before speeking about a person with a disability...... =)

And no one "suffers from", "is afflicted with" or "is a victim of" ANYTHING!! Nor is anyone wheelchair bound. There are people who USE wheelchairs, nothing else. My son is not "bound" by his wheelchair; he is free to go where he wants!

In speaking or writting, remember that children or adults with disabilities are like everyone else -- except they happend to have a disability. Therefore, here are a few tips for improving your language related to disabilities and handicaps.

1. Speak of the person first, then the disability.

2. Emphasize abilities, not limitations.

3. Do not label people as part of a disability group -- don't say "the disabled"; people with disabilities.

4. Don't give excessive praise or attention to a person with a disability; don't patronize them.

5. Choice and independence are important; let the person do or speak for him/herself as much as possible; if addressing an adult, say "Bill" instead of "Billy".

6. A disability is a functional limitation that interferes with a person's ability to walk, hear, talk, learn, ect.; use handicap to describe a situation or barrier imposed by society, the environment or oneself.

Do not imply diease or illness when discussing disabilies

Do not imply disease with people whose disability has resulted from anatomical or physiological conditions (ie. persons with spinal bifida or cerebral palsy). References to disease associated with disability is acceptable only with chronic diseases, such as arthritis, Parkinson's, or multiple sclerosis. People with disabilities should never be referred to as patients or cases unless their relasionship with their doctor is under discussion.

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