Living and laughing with a disability - cerebral palsy; ordinary life, extraordinary circumstances.

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Disability language...

Interesting thoughts from Glenda.

I have always felt funny with the term "disability" because it "dis"es any "ability" I have!

Even so, it is a useful label that people use.

It is not the term that is offensive or not offensive; it is the thought behind it.

"Functional diversity". I like it, but I agree with Glenda that it would confuse people.

Maybe we can teach our kids to appreciate diversity - physical ability, mental ability, skin color, nationality, cultural identification, religion.

We are all on a continuum, with all these things. None of us better or worse.

Each of us simple. Each of us complex. Each of us diverse.

Maybe someday we won't need labels because we will take the time to try to understand each other.

Do It Myself Blog – Glenda Watson Hyatt � What is in a word? The evolution of disability language continues: "In my mind, “functional diversity” definitely has merit over “disability”. However, I wonder if using the term in the English-speaking community would lead to confusion rather than enlightenment, at least until the term catches on. I’m also left wondering if other cultures have equally thought-provoking terms."

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