Disabilities and Political Correctness

[brssmnky]

Ok, it’s a new forum and already two posts have the word in the subject line. The word “handicapped” is becoming less and less of an acceptable word. In fact there are some people with disabilities that get downright offended when this word is used around them and view it as derogatory. The most politically correct phrasing is “person with a disability.” I know it’s confusing for some… after all there are still (too) many parking signs that say “handicapped parking” (despite our best efforts to get them all changed to “accessible parking”). Also, many people with disabilities themselves still use the term because the terminology “person with a disability” is fairly new. Certainly I am not going to tell anyone with a disability what to refer to yourself as… no more than I would tell an African-American person that he/she can only use that term (although I’m sure that this person would rather be identified by the person that he/she is than first and foremost the color of his/her skin). As for everyone else, I would be a happy person if we could all try to use more sensitive words.

Also, now that I look back in the forum, lets try to avoid “victim” and “suffers from.”

Thank you all.

 

[wldake]

I have a lot to say about this topic but before I do I have one question; Who determines what is "poiltically correct" or not? Did somebody send a survey out to all of the cripples and ask them what they wanted to be called? Does this process renew itself as people either become crippled in one fashion or the other? If so...I sure didn't get the memo. Doesn't a "person with a disability" include everybody anyway in one way or another?

I use the word handicap and disabled only in reference. I've never considered my self handicapped or disabled but merely crippled from a motorcycle accident that was nobodys fault except my own. I created one of those posts to help distinguish my post from the others and to help others such as my self find it using conventional terms such as handicap and disabled. There is nothing wrong with those words in and of themselves.

Labels are bad I know but then why do we keep creating them? "Person with a disability" is nothing more than a new label for cripple/gimp/handicap/disabled. People only want to be labeled when it benefits them. How bout we all try this...the next time you see a "person with a disability"; instead of calling them a "person with a disability"...go introduce yourself and ask them their name. I bet they'd rather be called that than anything some "politically correct" group decides to call them. I was asked one time when I was a member of a Diversity council at my former job; "What do you like to be called? (in reference to my label)". She was a black lady who was very sincere when she asked and my response was "My name is Wayne, what is your name?" She replied "Cathy.". I said to her "Cathy, I liked to be called Wayne. I do not know what all of the other people who use wheelchairs liked to be called." We would subsequently meet in the halls and in the meetings and we would greet each other by name.

As for the signs in the gimp spots; let's not replace them. I'd rather not see my tax dollar go to something so foolish as replacing a perfectly good sign. I would much rather see that money go to some sort of research or charity or be given back to the people who paid the taxes to put it up in the first place.

 

[SCUBAMedicBill]

Well said Wayne.

Bill

 

[cdiver2]

Well said Wayne.

Bill

Way to go Wayne.

 

[ShakaZulu]

This is a new forum and it's off to a rocky start. Do we really need this political correctness stuff around here??? Way to go WLDake.

 

[wedivebc]

This relates to scuba diving how????
I think if we are all sensitive to our fellow humans then we can get on with life and all those PC preachers can go annoy someone else.

 

[SubMariner]

Since this has the potential to become a flame-fest, I am requesting that everyone think BEFORE they post.

Please remember, it's a discussion.

Thanks from one of your Friendly Neighbourhood Mods,

 

[AmyJ]

The NEW OXFORD
AMERICAN Dictionary

hand·i·cap /Šhænd΋kæp/ *N. a condition that markedly restricts a person's ability to function physically, mentally, or socially:

a circumstance that makes progress or success difficult: a criminal conviction is a handicap and a label that may stick forever.


ORIGIN: mid 17th cent.: from the phrase hand in cap; originally a pastime in which one person claimed an article belonging to another and offered something in exchange, any difference in value being decided by an umpire. All three deposited forfeit money in a cap; the two opponents showed their agreement or disagreement with the valuation by bringing out their hands
either full or empty. If both were the same, the umpire took the forfeit money; if not, it went to the person who accepted the valuation. The term handicap race was applied (late 18th cent.) to a horse race in which an umpire decided the weight to
be carried by each horse, the owners showing acceptance or dissent in a similar way: hence in the late 19th cent. handicap
came to mean the extra weight given to the superior horse.

I really don't understand the total aversion to this word... it is just crazy! I am handicapped, by definition, because without my glasses or contacts I am restricted in what I can do. But it doesn't define me as a person. And I believe most people have SOMETHING that handicaps their life potential. My daughter is also handicapped. She can't hear. Does that define her as a person? no, but it does restrict her from certain things... she will NEVER be an opera singer ( along with the rest of the hearing but musically handicapped folks!) It seems that like all defenses, the people that flip out over semantics have their own issues or insecurities to deal with. But really folks, let's not waste our time here fighting about this. PC is all in the eye of the beholder! Let's just assume, that unless evidence shows otherwise, someone that uses a word that is not PC by YOUR definition, that it is NOT intended to be derogatory and let it side.

Sorry... off my box now!

Cheers!

 

[wldake]

Please remember, it's a discussion.

Good point.

I just wanted to express my point of view since I have 20 years of experience from this view. Diving is my new sport after many years of wheelchair basketball, football, softball, racquetball, tennis, water skiing, snow skiing, trap shooting, ice hockey, floor hockey, volleyball and soccer. Heck, I even played quad rugby for fun once (those guys are brutal and now I know why paras aren't allowed to play it...we'd kill each other!) In all that time and all of the athletes I have met; I never heard any of them consider themselves disabled or handicapped and they were never offended when called those terms because they were stronger than that.

I would consider Matt "The Wonder Boy" a testament to much of what I have stated. His body may be crippled but in no way would I consider him disabled. He is a very strong individual and he is fighting very hard to make his dream a reality which makes him more of a man than some people I have met.

One time there was about 10 of us gimps and 1 able-bodied (that's what we cripples call you behind your back ) fella with us at a restaurant. We had this cute little waitress. She actually asked the able-bodied guy if we all came on a bus and if he was the bus driver. :11: We laughed so hard. He actually felt a little out of place.

I invite anybody's opinion and respect that opinion but let's agree to disagree.

 

[brssmnky]

That’s all fine and dandy and, like I said, we are all allowed to call ourselves whatever we want. My post was more directed to any of the able-body people out there that are in the forum. I don’t care what anybody calls themselves. It’s what other people call people in specific groups that bother me.

As for “what should I call you… how about by my name” and “I don’t identify myself as disabled first and foremost.” Well that was really my point. If you’re name is bob and you’re a diver and you happen to be paralyzed, then I’m gonna say hi bob, or there’s bob over there, as everyone should. I hope that nobody is defined by whatever their impairment might be, but by their profession or hobbies or that they’re a funny guy or a total jerk, but referring to ourselves as “handicapped” does the opposite.

My point is that if someone is going to talk about “a handicapped…” (or god forbid “a cripple”) then let’s put the person first. Because we are all people first. Saying “a person with a disability” does at least that. Also, just saying “handicapped” tends to objectify a human being into more of a ‘thing’ than a person (a dollar for ever time I’ve heard, “oh, he’s a handicap/he’s a cripple”) Also, the word itself tends to invoke feelings of pity and sympathy in much of the general public. I don’t know ANY person who has a disability who wants anybody’s pity. Do you??

As for a survey… not so much. Actually it’s more like national conventions and organizations like the AAPD that dictate stuff like that, you know, the whole concept of “we decide what’s best for us” type of thing. So anyway, call yourself whatever you want, I’m not telling anyone what to call themselves. I was just pointing out that the word “handicapped” is not the most acceptable word for the able-bodied people to use. In fact some people I know get as offended by it as they do by the word “cripple.”

Thank You!