[Ct-nfb] Person-First Language

[Justin Salisbury]

Fellow Federationists:

In many circles in the disability community, there has come to be a practice of referring to ourselves as "people with disabilities" or "people who are blind" instead of "blind people."

What message does this send, and why do we not have a practice of saying "woman who is blonde," or, for that matter, "person who is female and blonde?" Why do we not say "person who is male and short" instead of "short man?" What is it that is different about a disability that necessitates placing the adjective after the noun?

Yours in Federationism,

Justin Salisbury
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