[Ct-nfb] Person-First Language

[Trevor Attenberg]

I think Rob's point is still clear-we are more than our disability, or for
that matter, any single characteristic. Just as I might cringe at someone
saying how terrible it was that someone got hurt because said someone was
blind, I'd likely question the compassion of someone who said "How offal! A
blond woman got hit by a car!"

I often like to dub the majority of the population as "people that happen to
be sighted". This makes me a man who happens to be happy.

Trevor A

  

 

From: Ct-nfb [mailto:ct-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Justin
Salisbury via Ct-nfb
Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2014 6:20 PM
To: 'ct-nfb at nfbnet.org'
Subject: [Ct-nfb] Person-First Language

 

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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