Word Power - Predudice & Discrimination

by Celtic 6 Replies latest jw friends

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  Celtic

  The issue of language with regard to disability is an important one.

  Look at the following words and ask yourself whether they imply a positive or negative image.

  wheelchair-bound ..... positive/negative/neither

  the disabled ..... positive/negative/neither

  people with disabilities ..... positive/negative/neither

  disabled person ..... positive/negative/neither

  cripple ..... positive/negative/neither

  invalid ..... positive/negative/neither

  integrated ..... positive/negative/neither

  spastic ..... positive/negative/neither

  handicapped ..... positive/negative/neither

  people with learning difficulties ..... positive/negative/neither

  spina bifida ..... positive/negative/neither

  independent ..... positive/negative/neither

  sufferer ..... positive/negative/neither

  special ..... positive/negative/neither

  mental patient ..... positive/negative/neither

  If you find any of the words above to imply negativity, specificly from your own culture, what more appropriate wording might you use to replace that particular word?

  Celtic Mark - Cornwall UK http://www.selfdirection.org http://www.can-online.org.uk

  edited for corrected spacing

  Edited by - Celtic on 9 September 2002 7:57:14
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  Amazing

  Hi Celtic: I wouldn't change a thing. I have been physically handicapped all my life with asthma. I am now handicapped with heart disease. One can read things into languages, and one can just let words objectively describe reality. People today read way too much sensitivity into every word and phrase, looking for issues to bitch about, because they have too much time on their hands. Physical and mental challenges are negative ... so what ... its part of life. I don't like limitations on me. But if someone says that I am handicapped, or whatever, as long as they are not blaming me with bad motives, I am not worried about it. I recognize that there has been some prejudiced and ignorance expressed by people ... but it is by far a small minority who talk and act negatively toward the handicapped.
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  Celtic

  Amazing, to a point I agree with you.

  At Self Direction Community Project this morning as part of our DAT Disability Awareness Training modules we are looking at predudice and discrimination within the workplace. I was therefore interested to hear cultural differences from around the world, I agree political correctness is not always called for, however, social change is needed in the UK with respect to policy writing and the charity here is a leader in the field of re-writing social policy. I was not asking for general views, rather, specific answers to the questions / words / phrases used.

  Mark Price http://www.selfdirection.org

  edited for grammatical error

  Edited by - Celtic on 9 September 2002 9:1:13
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  kelsey007

  My son recently lost both feet to bacterial menegitis. One of the first things he noted to me when he left the hospital was how people staired at him. The "labels" were to him not the issue. Handicaped or disabled did not bother him. It was the way people looked at him.
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  Englishman

  Celtic,

  Dunno if changing the words would help. "Special needs" morphed into "Learning difficulties" some years back, now they are just labels that are shortened into MLD's and SLD's. (Moderate / severe learning difficulties).

  I do try hard to see the person rather than the label.

  Englishman.
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  lydia

  Celty!!!!!!!!!

  'Ello there Balmpot!!

  Watch the moon rising over the misty hills lately?

  The fall weather is in the air here - and the mountains are bursting with brilliant displays of colors, soon the winter winds shall b upon us!

  Sorry I haven't replied for so long.....miss chatting with you!

  Lyd
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  Mum

  Celtic: I am not offended by any of the words you posted with the possible exception of "mental patient" because of the way people use the term. I was a crippled child in the 1950's when "crippled" was a descriptive, not an offensive, term. I spent almost a year of my life in the Shriner's Hospital for Crippled Children. So my hospital mates were crippled as well and didn't seem to mind.

  The only difference between me and anyone else is that my deformity is visible. It has hindered me socially and economically. Before that, it was a source of embarrassment and shame to my family. But I wouldn't exchange myself for anyone who is beautiful, physically perfect, or whatever. Maybe the terms "beautiful," "gorgeous" and the like can be offensive as well.