Hi All,
We have had this discussion in Northern Ireland also and came up with a
short statement as to why we chose to use 'people with disabilities'
rather than disabled people as part of our name 'The Centre on Human
Rights for People with Disabilities'. I have copied this below -
The Centre on Human Rights for People with Disabilities
The Centre on Human Rights is acutely aware of ongoing debate, both in
and outside of the disability movement, concerning the use of
appropriate terminology to describe people who have impairments and who
are disabled by society. As part of an organisation working with and for
people with disabilities, the Centre on Human Rights has carefully
considered the implications of adopting particular terminology.
The Centre on Human Rights respects the choices that people make in
choosing how to best describe their identity and experiences. We
recognise that some people prefer to use the term 'people with
disabilities' while others prefer to use the term 'disabled people'.
We understand that the use of 'people with disabilities' in the Centre
name will be contentious to some. The decision to use this terminology
has been informed by people with disabilities throughout Northern
Ireland. People with disabilities have told us that, placing the noun
'people' before 'disabilities' emphasises the fact that individuals who
are disabled by society are in fact people first - something which
historically has been denied.
The Centre on Human Rights understands the terms 'disability' and
'disabilities' to mean the range of oppressive practices and barriers by
which an individual with impairment is disabled by our society. This
includes attitudinal, physical, environmental, social and economic
barriers and encompasses institutional and systemic forms of
discrimination.
The decision to use the term 'people with disabilities' has also been
shaped by the international context in which the Centre carries out its
work. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities (2006) does not explicitly define the term disability, but
states that "Persons with disabilities include those who have long-term
physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which, in
interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective
participation in society on an equal basis with others" (Article 1). The
consistent use of 'people with disabilities' is, in the Centre's view,
vital in promoting the standardisation of international disability
terminology and its harmonization with the principles of human rights.
In addition, the General Assembly of the United Nations has recently
renamed the 'International Day of Disabled Persons' on 03 December each
year as the 'International Day of Persons with Disabilities' to reflect
developments on the international stage. The term 'people with
disabilities' is also widely used and preferred by organisations of and
for people with disabilities across the world, not least by many of
those individuals and organisations who were involved in negotiating the
terms and conditions of the Convention.
In choosing to use the term 'people with disabilities', the Centre on
Human Rights does not exclude those who prefer the term 'disabled
people', but believes that 'people with disabilities' is most
appropriate for the Centre in delivering its mission to protect, promote
and ensure the human rights of all those who experience the disabling
effects of our society.
For further information, please contact the Centre on Human Rights for
People with Disabilities, 189 Airport Road West, Belfast, Northern
Ireland, BT3 9ED UK or email [log in to unmask]
Dr Bronagh Byrne
Research and Policy Officer
The Centre on Human Rights for People with Disabilities
Disability Action
Portside Business Park
189 Airport Road West
Belfast
BT3 9ED
Northern Ireland
United Kingdom
Tel: 0044 (0)28 90 297880
Fax: 0044 (0)28 90 297881
Mobile: 07501500062
Textphone: 00 44 (0)28 90 297878
Typetalk (Telephone to Textphone): 18002 02890 297878
Email: [log in to unmask]
Website: www.disabilityaction.org
Register for Disability Action's Monthly E-zine visit
www.disabilityaction.org/register.aspx
-----Original Message-----
From: The Disability-Research Discussion List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jenny W
Sent: 10 March 2009 12:27
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Terminology: disabled students v students with
disabilities?
Larry,
what do you mean by "impairment termed in whatever way should never be a
negative judgement"?
--- On Tue, 10/3/09, Larry Arnold <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
From: Larry Arnold <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Terminology: disabled students v students with
disabilities?
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Tuesday, 10 March, 2009, 9:02 AM
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
________________End of message________________
This Disability-Research Discussion list is managed by the Centre for
Disability Studies at the University of Leeds
(www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies).
Enquiries about list administration should be sent to
[log in to unmask]
Archives and tools are located at:
www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html
You can VIEW, POST, JOIN and LEAVE the list by logging in to this web
page.
________________End of message________________
This Disability-Research Discussion list is managed by the Centre for Disability Studies at the University of Leeds (www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies).
Enquiries about list administration should be sent to [log in to unmask]
Archives and tools are located at:
www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html
You can VIEW, POST, JOIN and LEAVE the list by logging in to this web page.
|
