Disability Awareness-People-First Language

Disability Awareness-People-First Language

Activity 1. Determine which of the terms below are acceptable and which are not. Suggest appropriate replacements for those that are unacceptable.

• Students with disabilities – Appropriate
• Wheelchair users- Inappropriate. The appropriate use is ‘an individual who uses a wheelchair.’
• The disabled- Inappropriate. The appropriate use is ‘persons with disabilities.’
• A mentally disabled child- Inappropriate. The appropriate use is for a child with an intellectual disability.
• Individuals with autism- Appropriate
• The deaf person- Inappropriate. The appropriate use is ‘hard of hearing.’
• Disabled students- Inappropriate. The appropriate use is ‘learners with physical disabilities.’
• An adult who has cerebral palsy is inappropriate. The appropriate use is ‘an individual who suffers from cerebral palsy.’
• An epileptic- Inappropriate. The appropriate use is ‘an individual with epilepsy.’
• A student with a speech impairment- Appropriate
• A child with a visual impairment- Appropriate
• A developmentally delayed toddler is inappropriate. The appropriate use is for a toddler with a developmental disability.
• A deaf infant- Inappropriate. The appropriate use is for a baby who is hard of hearing.
• A student with ADHD- Appropriate

Questions/Discussion Topics

What other terms have you heard that refer to individuals with disabilities? Are these terms appropriate or inappropriate? Explain.

As I grew up, I often heard people, even the learned, saying or calling people mentally retarded, handicapped, and even terming people as an individual having the mind of toddlers. Having gone through this course and especially this chapter, it is clear that using such terms is unacceptable, and none of them is appropriate language use but rather inappropriate use of language (Naidoo, Rowena, et al. 538). Instead of using harsh language on people with physical disabilities, it would be appropriate for them to use a general term such as people with intellectual disabilities rather than terms such as the retarded or handicapped.

People often use the term disabled or handicapped, yet it is inappropriate. It is appropriate to call them physically challenged persons, persons with disabilities, or disabled people. However, people and society at large have truly stigmatized different groups, not only people with disabilities but other groups. For instance, referring to a person as a “gay person” or “sick person” is generally inappropriate and can dehumanize people as these terms are unacceptable. Instead of saying “gay person” or calling them a “sick person,” one should refer to them as a person who is sick or ailing. These words look more appealing and show more compassion for people with special needs. The words also encourage equality and inclusivity. Therefore, it is essential to note that whenever individuals change the phrasing of words, especially those used on persons with disabilities, they demonstrate that disability is worth more attention than any usual adjectives by highlighting it instead of downplaying it because this does exactly the reverse of the intended term.

Imagine that, as a teacher, you overhear one of your students using an inappropriate term to refer to another student with a disability. What would you do, and why would you do it?

Situations in which students use inappropriate terms to refer to other students with disabilities occur numerous times in school settings. With little experience teaching in different schools, I realized and understood that adolescents are more focused on being recognized, validated, and noticed. For that reason, when a learner usually makes such reproachful remarks about a peer who lives with challenges, they try to show that they are superior to the other peers. Mostly, the learner who makes such inappropriate remarks struggles with image issues or self-esteem. Hence, a learner cast an aspersion on a classmate due to their disability or other conditions, but a teacher should not just react instantly. In addition, according to Naidoo et al. (540), an immediate reaction to such inappropriate remarks on disability issues would cause more pressure and a wrong way of approaching the matter. Nonetheless, the right way is to take some time and get the opportunity to close the learner to talk to them in a way that never draws attention to the discussion (5 Naidoo 40).

Therefore, the first step will be to approach the learner, sit them down, and educate and advise them on the importance of using appropriate language for people with disabilities and the disadvantages of using inappropriate terminologies. Besides, Don and Paul maintain that improper use of language while referring to special needs persons or persons with disabilities hurts the feelings of such people and affects their self-esteem (Don and Paul 45). As such, people should be mindful of when and how they refer to persons with special needs (Don and Paul 45). As a result, I will highlight appropriate terminologies to use next time and teach the students to show inclusive behavior and correct language or terminologies so that the class will be an accepting and comfortable environment for all learners, especially those with special needs. Finally, I will explain to my students why the language they use is unacceptable and how it can hurt the feelings of other learners.

Works Cited

Darla, Clayton. 20 Things Every Parent of Kids with Special Needs Should Hear. Abilities.com. (2022). Retrieved 13 September 2022, from https://www.abilities.com/community/parents-20things.html.

Don and Paul. Introduction to Teaching: Becoming A Professional 7^th Edition Pearson.

Naidoo, Rowena, et al. “Physical activity for adults with disabilities: designing a South African infographic to communicate guidelines.” British Journal of Sports Medicine 56.10 (2022): 537-538.

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Objective

1) To learn the proper use of people-first language when referring to individuals with disabilities, and 2) to identify instances when improper terminology is used to refer to individuals with disabilities.

Overview

Remember that our language and terminology often reflect our beliefs, perceptions, and misconceptions in ways we may not be consciously aware of. A phrase or term can often be demeaning, even if that was not the speaker’s intent. As terminology evolves, a word or phrase that was acceptable at one point takes on a different connotation at another. For example, one recent change is the use of intellectual and developmental disability, cognitive disability, or simply intellectual disability to replace the now-outdated mental retardation. The move to a more positive terminology is something that the disability community has confronted.

Advocacy from the disability community has also resulted in the current use of people-first terminology in which the person comes first, their disability second:

• An individual with a disability
• A person who has autism
• A student with a learning disability
• A child who has Down syndrome

Similarly, speakers must avoid terms and phrases that equate the person with the disability (e.g., disabled is not a noun—see the first item in the table below) or that carry negative connotations.

Don’t Say The Disabled Say Instead A child who has a disability.

The contents of this case study were developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, #H325F060003. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Project Officer, Shedeh Hajghassemali.

Overview [Cont.]

As with any guidelines, there are exceptions. The two most common refer to people with vision or hearing loss. In these cases, it is also acceptable to refer to a deaf student (particularly those who use American Sign Language—ASL—and consider themselves members of the Deaf community) or a blind person.

A final two caveats: 1) Not every member of every group agrees with these terminology choices, and 2) terminology will continue to change. However, school personnel who are aware of these issues and who exhibit thoughtfulness and sensitivity when referring to individuals with disabilities can avoid offending students and their families.

Activity

1. Determine which of the terms below are acceptable and which are not. Suggest appropriate replacements for unacceptable ones.

• Students with disabilities Wheelchair users
• The disabled A mentally disabled child
• Individuals with autism The deaf person
• Disabled students: An adult who suffers from cerebral palsy
• An epileptic student with a speech impairment
• A child with a visual impairment, A developmentally delayed toddler
• A deaf infant A student with ADHD

Search for news stories about individuals with disabilities in various media formats (newspaper, magazine, Web stories). Note the use of appropriate and inappropriate terminology.

Questions/Discussion Topics

1. What other terms have you heard that refer to individuals with disabilities? Are these terms appropriate or inappropriate?
2. In your search for news stories, what did you discover? Were you surprised by any of your findings? Explain.
3. How important do you think it is that reporters use appropriate terminology? Explain your
4. Imagine that, as a teacher, you overhear one of your students using an inappropriate term to refer to another student with a. What would you do, and why would you do it?