[nabs-l] Disability Language

Sun Jul 26 21:18:45 UTC 2015

I just define myself as a person.

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Justin Harford via nabs-l
Sent: Saturday, July 25, 2015 6:19 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Justin Harford <blindstein at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Disability Language

I share a similar experience, working here in the independent living movement. I always use the politically correct language when referring to other people, and when at professional functions, but I am always a blind person, not a person who is blind.

> On Jul 25, 2015, at 2:54 PM, Kaiti Shelton via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Personally, what Caitlin just said extends to me even as a student in 
> a clinical field.  I may be corrected in the future, but if I don't 
> see how a supervisor will have reason to correct me for identifying 
> myself as long as I am professional and politically correct when 
> referring to clients.  They can correct me all they want if I call a 
> child I'm working with, "One of my blind kiddos," but if I'm saying, 
> "As a blind person I..." and they call me out on it, I'm likely to 
> explain why I prefer identity first language and liken it to Deaf with 
> a capital D instead of hearing impaired, and other such examples.
> 
> I accept it is the right thing to do in clinical work, and want to set 
> a good example for others I might meet as a professional, but that is 
> separate from my personal beliefs and how I want to be 
> treated/referred to.  You're right, you do have to separate personal 
> from professional and if people take issue with what I call myself and 
> not my clients, then that's them not separating the two, not I.
> 
>> On 7/25/15, Caitlin Best via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> I work for the army and the equal opportunity office for roughly 5 
>> years, so I had a great deal of death employees come into my office. 
>> Most deaf people are very proud of their culture and their community 
>> and you don't even consider themselves to have a disability. They do 
>> preferred to use a D – a D to describe themselves. Also, using 
>> hearing impairment is very disrespectful. Most preferred to use hard 
>> of hearing or simply death because that is how they see themselves.
>> 
>> As for other disability language, I would just rolled with whatever 
>> the person or people are comfortable with.
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>>> On Jul 25, 2015, at 13:50, Karl Martin Adam via nabs-l 
>>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Justin, the idea that you know better what someone should be called 
>>> than they do themselves seems awfully patronizing.  Isn't that sort 
>>> of idea that others know how we should live our lives better than we 
>>> do a large part of what we in the NFB and other disability rights 
>>> organizations spend our time fighting.  Also I happen to know that 
>>> there are a lot of deaf people who consider themselves Deaf with a 
>>> capital d and are very proud of their culture.  Calling them 
>>> "persons with hearing impairments" or something similar is extremely disrespectful.
>>> 
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: justin williams via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>> To: "'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'"
>>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>> Date sent: Sat, 25 Jul 2015 13:04:08 -0400
>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Disability Language
>>> 
>>> While operating in the field, I am careful to set the best example 
>>> for my consumer. Often times, consumers use names such as physically 
>>> disabled, or deaf, or something such as that.  They use the 
>>> terminology given to them by those who while well meaning, are not 
>>> in touch with the day to day maneusha which goes along with having a 
>>> disability.  I am careful to usualy stay in the professional 
>>> guidelines unless doing so will cause undo stress.  I've noticed 
>>> that when I use person first language, the consumer becomes more 
>>> empowered and is more inclined to take control of their life.
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Arielle 
>>> Silverman via nabs-l
>>> Sent: Saturday, July 25, 2015 12:57 AM
>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list 
>>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>> Cc: Arielle Silverman <arielle71 at gmail.com
>>> Subject: [nabs-l] Disability Language
>>> 
>>> Hi Kaiti and all. I read an article recently about disability 
>>> language which was published in the journal American Psychologist 
>>> and authored by Dana Dunn, a prominent disability psychologist. 
>>> Basically, the article described how language preferences are 
>>> changing. As others have pointed out, there is a lot of debate about 
>>> whether to use person-first ("person who is blind") or 
>>> identity-first ("blind person"). What Dr. Dunn recommends is that 
>>> clinicians should simply ask clients what term they prefer and use 
>>> those terms (honoring different clients with different terms, if 
>>> necessary). So you would not automatically need to call your client 
>>> a person with a disability unless he/she explicitly prefers that 
>>> language. I have noticed that the vast majority of people I 
>>> meet/exchange emails with who have autism want to be called 
>>> "autistic people" and the only people I know who use the term 
>>> "people with autism" are non-autistic people. So, I regularly use 
>>> the term "autistic person" because that seems to be the majority 
>>> preference for those who are actually part of that group. If a 
>>> particular autistic person or family objects, then I will switch to 
>>> their term of choice. I also use the term "blind person" to describe 
>>> myself and others in the blindness community.
>>> When I talk to parents of blind children, I try to listen to their 
>>> terms and follow their language (even if it's "visually impaired"). 
>>> I think honoring language and building common language is a part of 
>>> building rapport and trust with others.
>>> Arielle
>>> 
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>> 
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> 
> 
> --
> 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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