Thank you -- maybe I should have been more precise in saying "some"
English speaking countries, as it is difficult to come up with a
generalization that would necessarily apply to all. I have been in touch
with many disability rights leaders and others in many countries over the
years, including in some various Anglophone African countries, southern
Asian countries, etc. who have used the acronym DPOs in their email
correspondence with me in reference to disability-led organizations.
It is a good question you raise, though hard for me to judge. I need to
concede that, with few exceptions, much of my international contacts has
been via a number of international email-based discussion groups /
listservers such as Global Partnership on Disability and Development
(GPDD), International Network of Women with Disabilities (INWWD),
IDA_CRPD_Forum, among others. So it may be that some of the shared
commonality leading to the use of the acronym "DPOs" as a norm in these
contexts may be simply that this has become the norm for many of the
international disability listservers to which I subscribe regardless of
the norm in the varied individual countries in which individual members
live. But then, I also see this acronym used in emails sent to the
organization where I work from people abroad. I do not recall seeing ODP
used as an acronym much except when in Spanish or French.
Not sure if this helps,
Andrea
> Dear Andrea
>
> I would greatly appreciate if you would clearly specify (some) of
> the countries (communities) you are referring to under your gloss of
> "English speaking countries."
>
> The langua franca of Nigeria is English (as it was colonized by
> the British),
> so I wonder
> how can we, as a vistrual community of sorts, strive to be more
> inclusive -- as well as more nuanced and specific -- in the ways in
> which we identify ourselves, locally and globally, and communicate
> with one another.
>
> I would also find it very helpful to have a discussion of
> thoughts/ideas re: other (more productive) ways of
> (a) grouping the countries and communities you refer to... I am
> particularly curious to know if the countries and communities to which
> you refer might have other commonalities...common cultural contexts,
> shared histories -- say of national identity or specific to the
> disabled communities there ...
> and
> (b) actively creating a more inclusive global community through
> thoughtful interchange and creatively striving for more nuanced and
> inclusive terminologies
>
> thank you so much
>
> Sincerely
> Amy Ifátólú
>
> On 3/5/14, Andrea Shettle <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>> Dear Kabura Zakama,
>>
>> I usually see DPOs for English speaking countries, this seems to be a
>> somewhat widely accepted convention within English speaking disability
>> community at least in my observation. Other languages may use a
>> somewhat
>> different acronym such as OPD because their translation puts the words
>> in
>> a different order in accordance to that language's syntax.
>>
>> I personally see no harm in each country having its own terminology
>> within
>> that country as long as there is awareness that speaking across national
>> boundaries may require something different. Same for a person
>> accustomed
>> to international norms who may need to adapt to local norms when
>> communicating with people within (or about) their own country.
>>
>> Andrea
>>
>>> Dear friends,
>>>
>>> I work on democratic governance project and I support our work with
>>> persons
>>> with disabilities on electoral processes. I am still confused though as
>>> to
>>> how to refer to groups of persons with disabilities. Here in Nigeria,
>>> we
>>> favour the term 'organisations of persons with disabilities, OPDs.' In
>>> other places I see 'disabled persons/people organisations, DPOs.' Is
>>> there
>>> an internationally accepted nomenclature or is it ok for different
>>> countries to adopt their own?
>>>
>>> Kind regards,
>>>
>>> Kabura Zakama
>>> Civil Society Expert
>>> Democratic Governance for Development
>>> UNDP, Nigeria
>>>
>>>
>
>
>
> --
> Amy Ifátólú Gardner, MD, MPH, PhD
> Iyánífá and Medical Anthropologist
> Independent Healer, Educator and Consultant
>
> Founder and Director,
> Orísun Healing Consultancy
> (orísun Yorùbá n. "source"; "well-spring")
>
>
>
>
> "My deepest concern seems to be the survival of manhood, of humanity,
> of the spirit, because if these blossom and take hold, the economic,
> the social, the political injustices will fall for lack of support; or
> at least so I am obliged to think"
> Katherine Dunham
>
> "The most important thing to remember is this: To be ready at any
> moment to give up what you are for what you might become."
> W.E.B. DuBois
>
> "If you bring forth what is within you,
> what is within you will save you.
> If you do not bring forth what is within you,
> what is within you will destroy you."
> Jesus
> "The Gnostic Gospels," Elaine Pagels, ed.
>
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