Handicap and People First

Where does the word Handicap fit in our community?

By Christina Clift
Words do hurt, even cripple and handicap, when referring to people with disabilities.  The history of the word handicapped is not a pretty one to be sure.  

Many people believe it is a term for begging, but it began as a game and is still found in horse racing to describe an extra burden and in golf it is a measure of potential ability.  

People with disabilities are not burdensome, asking for charity because we cannot work, or measured by our potential ability.  People with disabilities can stand on their own and work as hard and have as much potential as everyone else.

The problem is how many people know the real definition of those words and more importantly do we care enough to stop using it.  As a person with a disability I do care enough to stop using it.  

I have worked for the Memphis Center for Independent Living for sixteen years, and I have been conditioned not to refer to people with disabilities using those terms.  However, I do realize that other people with disabilities may not share this sentiment.  Even in the office opinions differ on the language that is used when referring to people with disabilities.

Allison Donald said, “At the end of the day it doesn’t matter what society refers to people living with disability as it is what we answer to that matters”. 

Sandi Klink, Executive Director of MCIL feels differently. She feels some  words are hurtful and should not be used by people with or without disabilities.   

"As MCIL," said Sandi, "we want to promote positive identity to decrease the stigma surrounding typical disability language."

 

I personally don’t care what another person with a disability calls themselves.  My real issue is with people without disabilities defining us or creating cute terms like “handicapable” and “differently abled.” Both of these terms and others further marginalize our community in an effort to make disability more socially palatable.  

It is political correctness at its finest in the same vain as people first language in my opinion. People First Language was developed by someone without a disability.  Using People First Language also prohibits usage of words or phrases like handicapped, impaired, mentally retarded, challenged, special needs, and confined to a wheelchair.  But what is really wrong with saying disabled child?  

You often hear people with disabilities using words like disabled, special needs, and some people with disabilities are offended when people without disabilities do the same to describe them or the community as a whole.  

As a community of people with disabilities we will not always agree on what words we prefer as descriptors. I feel like that is part of a good, strong debate that will move the conversation forward.  I believe shift in language will naturally occur over time.  I look forward to the day when the language about us doesn’t take so much thought to use.