The usage of the term is not insignificant as the usage person with
disabilities is clumsy and in its attempt to separate the impairment from
the person implies that the impairment (which termed disability in
thatcontext, creates a barrier to looking at disability in a social and
reletavist context) is something nasty, taboo, one does not and should not
be associated with.
Well I will paraphrase Haile Sellasie through his erstwhile interpreter Bob
Marley, until the impairment is of no more significance than the colour of
the eyes, then everywhere is war.
Impairment termed in whatever way should never be a negative judgement and
that is precisely what person first language does even if it intends the
opposite.
In my opinion it gets well in the way of adopting a positive identity and in
effect accepts a status quo of oppression and second class citizenship
Larry
> -----Original Message-----
> From: The Disability-Research Discussion List [mailto:DISABILITY-
> [log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of laura arndt
> Sent: 10 March 2009 01:02
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Terminology: disabled students v students with disabilities?
>
> I may be placing my head on the chopping block here but here goes....
> My
> struggle here is what does this process of identification mean for the
> non academic person? What signficance does this debate of language
> have for the person who is disabled, disabled person, person with a a
> disability who lives a life that despite debate continues to be largely
> marginalized? In my community we struggle with the language of those
> outside our community referring to us as First Nations, Indians,
> Original People's etc.... at the end of the day how does drawing focus
> to the framing of the naming of me or my naming of myself hinder the
> need for a much greater discussion?
>
> This is in no way intended
> to detract from the valued perspectives raised by our colleagues,
> simply my repositioning the question to gain further insight into this
> point of consideration.
>
> Laura
>
> > Date: Mon, 9 Mar 2009 18:51:10 -0400
> > From: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Re: Terminology: disabled students v students with
disabilities?
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> >
> > Emma,
> > Stephen Gilson and I wrote quite a bit about this issue in our 2004 book
entitled
> Rethinking Disability ( Brooks Cole). Perhaps that work might help you in
your thinking.
> We are now writing another book which will be published by Sage late in
2009.
> > let me know if you want future discussion.
> > Our work opposes person first language as euphemistic branding as it is
only used when
> the condition that "follows" the personhood is so devalued that it cannot
be used as a
> viable adjective. Interesting that we do not say person with beauty or
> > even person with murderous behavior. Comparing person first lexicon with
more typical
> parlance is axiologically revealing.
> > Best wishes,
> > Liz
> >
> > Elizabeth DePoy, Ph.D.
> > Coordinator of Interdisciplinary Disability Studies
> > Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies
> > University of Maine
> > 5717 Corbett Hall
> > Orono, ME 04469
> > 207-581-1469 (voice)
> > 207-581-1084 (TTY)
> > 207-581-1231 (FAX)
> >
> > ________________End of message________________
> >
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