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The disabled people's movement has advocated the use of "disabled people" since the 1980's. I hope the first page of the attached article helps to explain this choice of terminology.
 
Language is important and our choice of language is an indicator of our underlying perception of disability. Those of us who are subscribing to a social model approach should use "disabled people/students". This does not of course prevent us from acknowledging that individual students may wish to be referred to as "a student with disabilities" or in other ways.
 
ATB
 
Claire
 
 
Claire Wickham
Senior Disability Officer
Disability Resource Centre
University of the West of England
Frenchay Campus
Coldharbour Lane
Bristol BS16 1QY
 
Tel: 0117 328 3737
Textphone: 0117 32 83644
Fax: 0117 32 82935
 
Please note that this e-mail was written using speech input and may contain some small voice recognition errors.
 

From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Katy Mann
Sent: 25 April 2008 16:01
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Social v. Medical Model Terminology

Dear All,

 

I know this one comes up periodically but I would be interested in what people know to be the latest thinking on this. At a meeting this week a member of staff said in a meeting for an external organisation, she was told that the correct terminology  was ‘disabled people’ and not ‘people with disabilties’  when she used the term ‘people with disabilties’ she  sent on disability awareness training!

 

My understanding was that the most up to date term was ‘people with disabilities’ (and that this fits in with the social model)  because you are a person first. My colleague was told that it now ‘Disabled people’ is ‘correct’ because a person is ‘disabled’ by society.

 

While I believe that use of appropriate terminology is important, I am wary of becoming a hostage to ‘PC’ ness but would be interested on hearing what the latest collective thinking is regarding appropriate terminology.

 

Many thanks. Enjoy the weekend.

 

Katy

 

 

Katy Mann
Disability Adviser (West End sites)
Room CG80, Chiltern Building
University of Westminster
35 Marylebone Road
London NW1 5LS
Tel: 020 7915 5456 Fax: 020 7915 5439
www.wmin.ac.uk/disability
 

 


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