In disability focused organizations I have worked in we have always used
"people with disabilities", the understanding being that it puts the person
before the disability (literally and figuratively) in importance.
Mare
on 2/7/02 2:57 PM, Claire Wickham at [log in to unmask] wrote:
> Pam's comments express my understanding exactly (Thank you Pam for putting
> it so well) so I have to say that I am still puzzled as to why, outside the
> UK, the preference appears to be for "people with disabilities", or am I
> worrying unduly over a semantic distinction that is only valid for UK
> English?
>
> Claire
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Pam Thomas" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2002 3:27 PM
> Subject: Re: language
>
>
>> Language is important because it influences how we act.
>>
>> If we act as if "disability" is within certain people as a result of the
> way
>> their bodies, minds or senses work then the term "person with a
> disability"
>> makes sense. We can then try to solve the issues of disability by
> focussing
>> on the individual. This is an individual model of disability.
>>
>> If we act as if "disability" is what results from the social and economic
>> exclusion of certain people because of the way their mind, bodies or
> senses
>> work the term "disabled people" makes sense because it means those people
>> who are disabled by society. There are issues relating to the way our
> minds,
>> bodies and senses work but these should not be confused with the social
> and
>> economic exclusion. Then we can try to solve the problem of disability by
>> finding ways to stop that exclusion. This is the social model of
> disability.
>>
>> I prefer and use the social model of disability and use the term "disabled
>> people". This way of thinking about disability is becoming better known
> and
>> used, but not everyone knows about it or uses it.
>>
>> Pam.
>>
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>
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--
MaryAnn "Mare" O'Toole
Director of Academic Computing
The Art Institute of Boston at
Lesley University
700 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02215
617 585-6661
otoole@aiboston
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