[humanser] Person first language

[Reyazuddin, Yasmin]

Hi All, 
The best place to find the information on persons first language is www.hhs.gov/ocr 
I have found good information regarding this subject. Hope it helps. 

Yasmin Reyazuddin 
Aging & Disability Services 
Montgomery County Government 
Department of Health & Human Services 
401 Hungerford Drive (3rd floor) 
Rockville MD 20850 
240-777-0311 (MC311) 
240-777-1556 (personal) 
240-777-1495 (fax) 
office hours 8:30 am 5:00 pm 
Languages English, Hindi, Urdu, Braille 


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Thank you.


-----Original Message-----
From: humanser [mailto:humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kaiti Shelton via humanser
Sent: Friday, July 24, 2015 1:22 PM
To: humanser at nfbnet.org
Cc: Kaiti Shelton <crazy4clarinet104 at gmail.com>
Subject: [humanser] Person first language

Hi all,

I'm thinking a lot about this lately and was interested in seeing what others think.  The code of ethics and standards of practice I have to abide by promote the use of person first language so of course I have to use them, but I feel a little odd when I think of self-disclosing my blindness to my clients.  I know the NFB's position is that you don't have to say, "A person who is blind," and can call yourself or others "a blind person" if you like, and I do.  How do you in your practices reconcile this with a need to call your clients, "a person with Autism" or "A person with depression?"

Furthermore, I'm wondering what to do if I ever meet a client who feels like their disability is enough of their identity that they don't want to be identified/self-identify in disability first language.  E.G, if I have a client who is blind or deaf, someone who tells me upfron "I'm a wheelchair user," or even a child who might say, "I'm a dyslexic kid."  How would you navigate that?

Thanks,

--
Kaiti Shelton
University of Dayton-Music Therapy
President, Ohio Association of Blind Students 2013-Present Secretary, The National Federation of the Blind Performing Arts Division 2015-2016

"You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back!"

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