Differently abled.

[conuly]

You know what? I hate this phrase. It's stupid. Professor X is differently abled. Daredevil is differently abled. Cyclops? Differently abled.

You? Well, if being in a wheelchair or blind or deaf has suddenly given you some sort of superpower that the vast majority of the world doesn't have - sure. I guess Stephen Hawking is, in a way, differently abled because he's so brilliant :) But otherwise, you're not.

You already knew that, of course. I'm preachin' to the choir here. But if I ever find the person who came up with that phrase, I'll punch him/her straight to the comics, let them teach the *real* meaning of "differently abled".

Oh, and handicap? Nothing to do with cap-in-hand, or with begging. It comes entirely from games. You may or may not think the word is offensive, but please, base your opinions on facts, not urban myths.

Comments

[xiggaroo.livejournal.com]

Sort of related - Autistic/Autistic person or person with Autism?

(This is actually turing out to be a big part of my project... I really REALLY don't want to offend anyone in the audience when I present, and I'm really curious. So...)

[conuly]

For most people, it's autistic person. I'd suggest taking a minute to explain why you chose that terminology: autism isn't something that can be separated from an individual, autism isn't a bad thing necessarily, person first language mutiliates the structure of the English language and makes the disability more noticeable, person first language is insulting by implying that people don't realize we're all human anyway. Whatever.

[griphus.livejournal.com]

you've read Anthropologist on Mars, right?

[conuly]

*dramatic eyeroll*

I am so behind on my autiebiographies. I've read a grand total of: zero.

[demonkoala.livejournal.com]

Is Cyclops blind? I thought he needed special glasses to stop his beams, but he could still see? Sorry, just a minor blip off the main point.

[griphus.livejournal.com]

no, you're right, he can't control his beams without his glasses/visor but he can see just fine.

[conuly]

I didn't say he was blind. However, without that visor, he *is* disabled - he'll burn holes in everything he looks at, from family to food.

[demonkoala.livejournal.com]

I took "being in a wheelchair or blind or deaf" as an inference to it. ::shrug::

[l33tminion]

Well, it's random, not constant, but still a major inconvenience...

[l33tminion]

On the other hand, he can shoot lasers from his eyes, so that sort of makes up for it...

[arikatt.livejournal.com]

Watch the George Carlin routine on euphemisms. XD

[velvetechos.livejournal.com]

Saw your journal on push_the_limits, and had a peek-about. I work with developmentally disabled people all day long. What do you think about that term? =-) I don't like the term handicapped. I have never heard the term differantly abled.

[conuly]

I think it's vague. However, I do not think it's fair for me to judge that term, since I can't be classified as developmentally disabled, and therefore am not affected by whether or not people use it.

Differently abled, now, is stupid no matter who it's used for :)

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

Differently-abled is garbage. It makes me barf, because everyone is differently abled.

...people thought that handicap came from begging? o_O. I knew it was from games for a long time.

*recently had to write an essay that was basically: Eupehnisms suck the metaphorical donkey, so is verra cranky.*

[leora.livejournal.com]

I like to think that going blind has allowed me to see the world as it truly is.

Which is blurry with lots of blobby objects in it.

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

i knwo a guy ina wheelchair that takes offence to the term disabled, since it means not able, and he feels he is still able to do the things he was before. he still swims, plays basketball, cooks drives, etc, but he does it differently than *barf* able-bodied */barf* people, and thus, he prefres, differently-abled

[conuly]

Yeah, then he needs to find a better term, because I'll snicker every time he passes for using a marvel comics word.

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

silly girl. does a term coming from a comic make it any less usable?

[conuly]

Yes

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

y? you and 'dul always use "you have more issues than a comic book..." and just becasue a comic book came up with a good idea, it should be ruled out? good....no more references to book in real life for you, missy.

[xiggaroo.livejournal.com]

Sort of related - Autistic/Autistic person or person with Autism?

(This is actually turing out to be a big part of my project... I really REALLY don't want to offend anyone in the audience when I present, and I'm really curious. So...)

[conuly]

For most people, it's autistic person. I'd suggest taking a minute to explain why you chose that terminology: autism isn't something that can be separated from an individual, autism isn't a bad thing necessarily, person first language mutiliates the structure of the English language and makes the disability more noticeable, person first language is insulting by implying that people don't realize we're all human anyway. Whatever.

[griphus.livejournal.com]

you've read Anthropologist on Mars, right?

[conuly]

*dramatic eyeroll*

I am so behind on my autiebiographies. I've read a grand total of: zero.

[demonkoala.livejournal.com]

Is Cyclops blind? I thought he needed special glasses to stop his beams, but he could still see? Sorry, just a minor blip off the main point.

[griphus.livejournal.com]

no, you're right, he can't control his beams without his glasses/visor but he can see just fine.

[conuly]

I didn't say he was blind. However, without that visor, he *is* disabled - he'll burn holes in everything he looks at, from family to food.

[demonkoala.livejournal.com]

I took "being in a wheelchair or blind or deaf" as an inference to it. ::shrug::

[l33tminion]

Well, it's random, not constant, but still a major inconvenience...

[l33tminion]

On the other hand, he can shoot lasers from his eyes, so that sort of makes up for it...

[arikatt.livejournal.com]

Watch the George Carlin routine on euphemisms. XD

[velvetechos.livejournal.com]

Saw your journal on push_the_limits, and had a peek-about. I work with developmentally disabled people all day long. What do you think about that term? =-) I don't like the term handicapped. I have never heard the term differantly abled.

[conuly]

I think it's vague. However, I do not think it's fair for me to judge that term, since I can't be classified as developmentally disabled, and therefore am not affected by whether or not people use it.

Differently abled, now, is stupid no matter who it's used for :)

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

Differently-abled is garbage. It makes me barf, because everyone is differently abled.

...people thought that handicap came from begging? o_O. I knew it was from games for a long time.

*recently had to write an essay that was basically: Eupehnisms suck the metaphorical donkey, so is verra cranky.*

[leora.livejournal.com]

I like to think that going blind has allowed me to see the world as it truly is.

Which is blurry with lots of blobby objects in it.

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

i knwo a guy ina wheelchair that takes offence to the term disabled, since it means not able, and he feels he is still able to do the things he was before. he still swims, plays basketball, cooks drives, etc, but he does it differently than *barf* able-bodied */barf* people, and thus, he prefres, differently-abled

[conuly]

Yeah, then he needs to find a better term, because I'll snicker every time he passes for using a marvel comics word.

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

silly girl. does a term coming from a comic make it any less usable?

[conuly]

Yes

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

y? you and 'dul always use "you have more issues than a comic book..." and just becasue a comic book came up with a good idea, it should be ruled out? good....no more references to book in real life for you, missy.