Lecture #3 Language Flashcards
Why does Language matter?
- Communicates attitudes and beliefs
- Can communicate respect or the opposite
- Can enhance or reduce differences
What does “quibbling over ‘disabled people’ versus ‘people with disabilities’ is a diversion from making common cause to promote the inclusion and rights of disabled people” mean?
It means that the change of words does not interpret to the change of attitudes or actions of people.
What does “Some stories enhance life and others degrade it so we must be careful about the stories we tell.” mean?
It means that the language we use may highlight weaknesses or disabilities that might make someone feel positioned in a less category.
The Labeling Problem: Disadvantages of Labeling:
- Can be linked with stigmas
- Can lead to stereotypes
- Can lead to the spread phenomenon
- Can lead to negative self-fulfilling prophesies
Explain “Stigmas”
- Socially unacceptable
- eg. Public nudity, mental health, or HIV (STI)
Explain “Stereotypes”
Instant gratification
can be true or false, or positive or negative
“gen z cannot have a long term commitment”
“Men are less emotional”
Explain “The Spread Phenomenon”
Assuming a characteristic about someone because of …
- eg. If you are good in that sport, you should be able to be good in all sports”
- “Disabled people are not interested in sport”
- “A person is not smart because of their reading impairment”
Explain “Negative Self-fulfilling Prophesies”
- “Im not good in math”
Feeding the negative understanding, so the person actually feels they are not good in math, when in reality they are good in math.
Labeling Exceptions: Advantages of Labeling:
- Facilitate communication
- Access funding
- Receive treatment
- Access programs
- Sports classification
Explain “Facilitate Communication”
Talking too much or too little about the issue
Explain “Access funding”
Disabled kids get funding for their disability, but sometimes they have to prove that they are actually disabled to get enough funding for their situation
Explain “Receive treatment”
Procedure, diagnosis, performed treatments.
Explain “Access programs”
Eg. The Steadward center, generalized understanding to accept people that were denied access in the past, in physical activity centers.
May not have the capabilities to accept complex situations.
Explain “Sports classification”
Labeling used for positioning of people with specific expertise or level.
Eg. Boxing and class drop weight to fight/ compete against less
Define “Euphemism”:
one expression is used to replace another
Example of Euphemism:
- crappy couch for sale –>
well-used couch
Example of Euphemism:
- old people –>
seniors
Example of Euphemism:
- go away –>
I need some me time
Example of Euphemism:
- Bathroom –>
Restroom
Example of Euphemism:
- You are fired –>
You are let go, you are laid off
An Example of Euphemistic Language
- 1876 – American Association of Medical Officers of Institutions for Idiotic and Feebleminded Persons
- 1933 – American Association on Mental Deficiency
- 1988 – American Association on Mental Retardation
- 2006 – American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
English Language Disability Terminologies: Considering Historical and Theoretical Contexts
The more obvious you are from the norm, the more you are perceived as in-ordinary.
Rights Based Model: Person-First Language Example:
e.g. “person with a disability,” “person with multiple sclerosis,” “person without a disability”
In the Rights Based Model: Person-First Language Model, disability is viewed as:
- an unchangeable biological trait of a person
- that person should not be discriminated against legally because of the disability
- person is viewed as a whole human
Person-First Language Model avoid language like:
- Referring to the person with their disability: disabled person
- Referring to the person with their condition: epileptic
- Referring to the person with a negative tone: stroke victim or wheelchair bound
- Referred to as a slur: cripple
The UK Social Model: Example
i.e. “disabled person,” “non-disabled”
The UK Social Model definition:
- Disability is conceptualized as a set of socially and structurally produced relationships and processes.
- Societies disable people
The UK Social Model Diagnosis of disability:
Impairment
Medical Model: Example
e.g. “person with cerebral palsy,” “person without…”, “typically developing”
Medical Model definition:
Disability looked at as abnormal a problematic individual trait
Sometimes, using the terms “person with impairment” or “person diagnosed with” can be helpful to whom? Why?
Helpful to those who study from a biological/health perspective can acknowledge the role of social structures (e.g., the WHO definition of disability)
Relational, Intersectional and Experiential Models: Self-identification and Variation in Disability Experiences: example
i.e. “person who identifies as…” “person who experiences disability”
Relational, Intersectional and Experiential Models: Self-identification and Variation in Disability Experiences definition:
Recognizes the significant differences in experiences, understandings, and identities.
Relational, Intersectional and Experiential Models: Self-identification and Variation in Disability Experiences uses what models?
Rights-based Model & Social Model,
- With greater consideration to the identities and experiences of people.
- Values the way people see themselves
Community-Specific Terminology
Capital D “Deaf”, Small d “deaf”, and “d/Deaf”
Capital D “Deaf”
reject medical understandings, conceptualize self/community as part of linguistic minority and rich cultural tradition
Small d “deaf”
(or person with hearing loss) equated to medical model/person first language to refer to people with non-normative levels of hearing
“d/Deaf”
This term recognizes how understandings and identities are shifting
Comparative Terminology example:
e.g. Normal vs Abnormal
Comparative Terminology came up with:
The Social Construction of Disability in a Society of Normalization
What is the problem with Normalization?
The emergence of a notion of normalcy is what, then, creates the “problem” of the disabled person.”
Guidelines for Speaking and Writing
- Communicate dignity and respect (avoid slang terms e.g. gimp, slow, lame)
- Refer to impairment and disability when relevant
- Avoid use of acronyms (e.g. CP, MS etc…)
- Avoid terms that infer dependency (e.g. wheelchair bound vs person who uses a wheelchair)
- Avoid medicalizing (e.g. patient vs client)
- Avoid emotional descriptors (e.g. victim of, suffering from)
Eli Clare excerpt – “The Mountain” states that disability and acheivement:
Contradict each other and that any disabled person who overcomes this contradiction is heroic.
“person with a disability” –> Social Model
disabled person
“person with SCI” –> Person First
person with a spinal cord injury
“normal person” –> Experiential Model
person who does not experience disability
“the mentally handicapped” –> Medical Model (considers social and rights based)
individuals with an intellectual impairment
