Oh Gregor
I am beginning to think either you or I have 'defective' brains. I'm trying to work this one out inbetween doing a funding application! And is this not a philosophical argument as opposed to a political argument? So, if I have totally misconstrued your posting let me off the hook - not an academic!
If impairment is linked to the description of the body and its
functioning and is not negative or positive what would the purpose of
the term be?
Well, I guess there is no real purpose to the term unless in medical/cure/care or enabling terms OR indeed to enable the lucrative disability industry to continue notwithstanding the credit crunch/depression. We have to be categorised to enable us to get a health/social/employment/student support services etc etc.
We can either accept that there is a majority out there that subscribe, more or less to concepts of the non-disabled 'perfect' or 'normal' body and there are those of us who don't. To deny the existence of 'normalcy' amongst the so called majority which then categorise us as impaired/defective/people with disabilities is kind of counter productive. It wouldn't be counterproductive once we reach the utopia of everyone accepted for who they are - using the old saying 'each to their ability and each to their need' At that point, apart from cultural difference there would be no need to define anyone as impaired etc.
This is very unlikely to happen as eugenic abortion, living wills with advance directives, euthanasia are all intent on getting rid of people with impairments/disabilities or Disabled people!
And lets face it, even I who have been working for the disability movement for years still earn a living out of it, i.e. impairment and disability!
To indicate this group of people is different; this group
does not fit the norm; has a variability of body and functioning.... So Yes
What would then be used by people who self identify as defective?
Well being someone who acquired an impairment that sometimes Disables me and sometimes doesn't depending on my environment/culture etc etc still doesn't make me identify as defective! Defining yourself as defective is surely not so much a choice as a resigned and miserable acceptance of what the so called 'normal majority' world lays onto us! I have an impairment but I am just as perfect or inperfect as the rest of them!
As the medical system is using the term impairment to classify us as
defective its much more logical to use a different term to highlight
that one does not see themselves as defective (especially as many of us
see themselves impaired in the sense of defective).
Sanitising the language to suit our sensitivities doesn't take away from the fact that Disabled people or PWD (lol, how I hate that) or people with impairments/conditions are continuing to be systematically oppressed so therefore why not just use the word impairment for goodness sake! Having an impairment/condition doesn't make you defective! The political and cultural oppression that you face makes you 'defective'!
Having a term that
can not be construed as defect like variability one allows a medical
(impairment) and social (variability) model of body and functioning self
identification and by using these consistent one allows for the use of
the term disability to be used just for the area of disablement caused
by external forces.
Yeah but whichever way you put it able-bodied people - (who do not actually exist as the only delineation between being able-bodied and disabled is defined by 'social model and cultural attitudes, i.e. 'do you face disabling barriers or not?' ) - will still see you as someone with an impairment if of course it is visible!
The language that I use, i.e. Disabled people is intended to carry a political message!
Just realised what you do for a living!
Best wishes
Jude
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