In our society, some words are taboo, and the word “disabled” is one of them.
To be honest, I’m not sure why it’s become this word we shouldn’t say. In recent years, the term “special needs” has replaced “disabled” in main stream media as well as social media. My needs are not special, they are the same needs as everyone else, but the ableist society created the phrase so that when they added something to allow disabled people access to say, a building, they could pat themselves on the back.
In order to take back the word “disabled” and reverse its negative connotation, disability rights activist Lawrence Carter-Long introduced the hashtag “say the word.” The campaign invites people to say the word “disabled” because, as he said in a tweet in January, “Until & unless we do, they won’t.” (@LCarterLong).
Some also use “person first” language to combat the negative connotation of disabled. Person first language is exactly what its title implies, putting the name of the person in front of his or her diagnosis, essentially forcing people to see the person, not just the diagnosis. Within the disabled community, there are many who use person first, but I don’t. No, I’m not saying that person first is wrong, I’m saying it’s a matter of opinion.
All of this is helping to reverse the negative connotation of the word disabled as well as push disability rights into a national spot light. A few days ago at the Democratic National Convention, a woman named Anastasia Somoza who was born with spastic quadriplegia and cerebral palsy gave a speech that reminded people that people like she and I are here and won’t be ignored or degraded by people who share the same narrow minded views of republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
This year’s DNC has been the most disability-friendly in recent history with “Structural changes – e.g. ramps and seating – to the Convention center and Wells Fargo Center to ensure access for all. Mobility support in the form of wheelchair check out, scooter rental, power chair charging stations and sighted guides. Access to information by providing materials in alternate formats such as Braille, screen reader accessible electronic materials and large print. Inclusive communication by providing live captions, American Sign Language and Assisted Listening Devices at both facilities and Audio Descriptions for convention hall proceedings plus an assistance request alert texting system. Disability Services at both locations which include individualized assistance plus: Personal Attendant Credentials (On Request In Advance), Optical Character Recognition Systems, Guide Dog Relief, Tactile Map”
There’s still a very long way to go, but these are steps in the right direction. From #SayTheWord to person first language to the DNC, America is remembering for the first time since 1990 that we are here too.
