Why Ableist Language is Harmful
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

Why Ableist Language is Harmful

Don't call me a cripple

3906
Why Ableist Language is Harmful

As a little girl, I was taught that sticks and stones will break our bones, but words will never hurt me. But the older I get, the more I understand that that statement isn't true. The language we use in our day-to-day life and in our writing is a powerful convoy for expressing our thoughts, opinions, and emotions. Language allows us to describe ourselves and others too. Lastly, it's a telling reflection of existing societal values and influential to developing attitudes and beliefs. While language can lift people up, it can also bring others down in the form of hate speech.

By now, many people recognize how harmful the words f*aggot, c*nt, and the n-word can be. However, most of the time, people say words that they don't know are inappropriate to use. When used flippantly, words like "crazy," "bipolar," "OCD," "crippled," "lame," "dumb," "spaz," "psycho," and "ret**ded" perpetuate harmful stereotypes about people with physical and mental disabilities. They fuel the fire of stigma that runs rampant in our everyday conversation, the articles we read on social media, movies, books, and so much more.

For example, my short fiction professor recently held a discussion about the writing and editing process. He said that it can be hard to write first and edit later, but it's still a habit that writers should try to get into. He then went on to compare writing and editing to bipolar disorder, where writing is the mania and editing is the depression. A couple of my classmates laughed at his "joke," but I had to literally restrain myself from packing up my stuff and leaving.

Now, I don't have bipolar or any other mood disorder. But I do know that banging out a full article in an hour and then cutting stuff out is nothing like mania and depression. It's not simply swinging back and forth between two things, or being sad one moment and inspired the next. Bipolar disorder involves extreme changes in mood that occurs for weeks on end. It can destroy people's lives.

You could argue that this professor didn't know that anyone in his class had bipolar disorder. If it's not obvious, then it's okay, right?

Though some people with mental disabilities can pass as neurotypical (i.e. yours truly), it's still not okay to joke about a condition that affects someone's well-being. No matter how well you know someone, it's nearly impossible to know what they're really going through. And when you use such words without understanding what they mean, you are perpetuating negative and disempowering stereotypes.

The same goes for people with physical disabilities. I'm surprised people think it's okay to use physical disabilities as pejorative metaphors, such as: "The economy has been crippled by debt." Or accusing someone of being blind when they don't agree with you. (I'm looking at you, online debaters.) Or if someone with a physical disability leaves the house, then they must be so "brave" and "inspirational," when in actuality, they're just shopping for groceries.

Using ableist language not only perpetuates harmful stereotypes but dehumanizes and silences us as well. It contributes to bigotry, job discrimination, and even outright violence. We are more than blind eyes, deaf ears, paralyzed limbs, and impaired minds. We're just as human as you. Our society needs to shine the spotlight on disability rights so that we too have a place in the resistance and beyond. It starts with erasing ableist words from our vocabulary.

For a full list of ableist words and viable alternatives, click here.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

To The 'Best Friend' I Decided I Couldn't Be Friends With Anymore

Most of all, thank you for being the person who finally pushed me to choose myself.

96563
The CW / YouTube

Dear Old Friend,

Keep Reading... Show less
Lifestyle

7 Tips For Traveling

Don't miss any of these ideas to make your trip complete!

2706
7 Tips For Traveling

Whether it's a day trip, an out-of-state journey, or an experience leaving the country, here are some tried and true traveling tips.

Before any trip, we all think about what to pack and what to bring. We may have a strict itinerary, or we may have looser guidelines for what to do when. But we should also consider the following - make them goals:

Keep Reading... Show less
Featured

Writer of the Month: Hunter Johnstone

As an aspiring author, Hunter knew writing for Odyssey would be a great fit for her.

2476
Writer of the Month: Hunter Johnstone

Response writers are what make the world go round at Odyssey! Using our response button feature, they carry on our mission of sparking positive, productive conversations in a polarized world.

Keep Reading... Show less
Allison Fishman

1. Why is Wilson Hall so complicated to navigate? Even as a senior, I still get lost in Wilson. As a freshman, I was warned about the unnecessary complexity of the building, was laughed at by upperclassman for my confused looks on the first day of school and walked and rewalked the whole hall before finding my classroom. #annoying.

Keep Reading... Show less
Featured

Blair Waldorf For governor of new york

What life would be like if the people were led by Queen B.

3054
Blair Waldorf For governor of new york

Cynthia Nixon, a.k.a Miranda from Sex and the City, is running for governor of New York. I think that this would be the best decision that has been made in a while solely based off of the fact that almost no one knows New York like the cast of Sex and the City. This got me thinking about who else would be a good candidate to take over the city of dreams. Then I realized that Blair Waldorf, if she were a real person, would be my number one choice for governor. Here are five reasons why Queen B would be an excellent ruler.

Keep Reading... Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments