[Ohio-talk] Political Correctness, Etc.

[Barbara Pierce]

As the editor that let the "differently abled" term through what is
undoubtedly the most rigorous affiliate-newsletter-editing  process in the
NFB, I think I should weigh in on this discussion. I was glad to read
Colleen's grumble about the term "differently abled". She is correct: this
kind of euphemism is exactly what our position opposing political
correctness should remove from our speaking and writing, and I am happy that
it bothered at least one reader. So why did I let the term get through? In a
word, I trust Carol. More than most of us she is always talking to more than
one audience simultaneously. I know where Carol stands in the matter of
respect to varied and multiple disabilities. As KJ was wont to say, "In her
heart she is as blind as the rest of us." 

When I read such dodges, part of me wants to kick my feet and demand that
people just get over it. Their kids are blind and maybe have other issues
that complicate their lives, but Mom's hiding her head in the sand about
that truth will only make the situation worse. That may be true, but it
doesn't change the fact that Mom won't improve the situation for the child
if she stamps off and refuses to read anything that forces her to face the
truth or move faster toward acceptance of it than she can. 

The fact is that in all Carol's sizeable article, that one phrase was the
only place where she dodged around the fact of disability. My reasoning was
that, if a skittish parent read that far through the article and came across
a term that provided some comfort, maybe that would be enough to keep him or
her (probably her) reading down to that devastatingly honest question at the
end: are you going to be part of the problem or part of the solution for
your child? I want such parents to stick around with the Federation long
enough to watch us horsing around with their kids and showing them how to
walk fast with a white cane, pound a nail, make and serve brownies, and pull
weeds while leaving the flowers to bloom. Carol talks with more parents than
I do. I am going to trust her to guide them into seeing and treating their
children like normal kids whose lives are a bit more complicated than those
of their friends. That was my thinking, and I hope I was right.

Barbara

-----Original Message-----
From: Ohio-talk [mailto:ohio-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
purplecakers
Sent: Wednesday, March 27, 2013 10:40 PM
To: n8tnv at att.net; ohio-talk at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [Ohio-talk] Political Correctness, Etc.

Colleen,
I am sorry if I offended you with my use of terms. I had a reason behind
what was said & how it was said.
In writing my article, I was targeting a much broader audience than just our
own NFB members, hence my terms. The global use of phrases that are
acceptable to the general public is constantly evolving.  In order not to
offend the masses, I tried to use terms that would be sensitive to new
parents,  new readers & or those who are not yet comfortable in their
disabled skins or with the blunt terms. I think it is important sometimes to
start eating the elephant one bite at a time, rather than trying to devour
it all at once. It is my hope that  people  come to accept their
disabilities or those of their children on their own terms. Sometimes thus
takes time. My next article adresses that, but I thot it would be overload
to try to mesh the two into one. Many people,  & parents have difficulty
with terms because the medical world has difficulty exposing them to those
terms.  It can be a shock & very offensive if someone pushes the cold, hard
reality & crushes every hope that they gave, before they are ready to face
it.  It can also be a permanent turn off to a genuine resource sych as the
NFB, if people are bluntly told to just get over it because your kid is
blind or disabled.  It sends the wrong message. We are here to help,  to be
a positive influence, to be sensitive to the needs if the people,   & if I
can do that by using these terms, then that is what I will do. While I am
nit disagreeing that blind & disabled are useful terms, they may not always
be the most appropriate at the time.
We are all entitled to disagree.
Carol

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Smartphone

-------- Original message --------
From: COLLEEN ROTH <n8tnv at att.net>
Date: 03/27/2013  9:37 PM  (GMT-05:00)
To: ohio-talk at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Ohio-talk] Political Correctness, Etc. 
 
Hello,
I would like to say that the Spring, 2013 Buckeye Bulletin was a pleasure to
read. It is so nice to have Nfb of Ohio Members send things to Barbara for
inclusion in the Newsletter.
She always needs our contributions and it's nice to see so many.
I do have to comment about a phrase in one Article.
Carol Akers refers to people as differently-abled. 
I understand that some people have trouble saying that they or their child
has a disability.
It is resptable to be blind or have any other disability.
I am blind, therefore I am disabled.
My girls were Multi-handicapped, therefore they had disabilities.
I didn't love or value them less because of their disabilities.
I know that Carol doesn't view her son as any less valuable either, I just
think we are so afraid of offending people.
Words like diherently-abled, hard-of-seeing, Visionally-challenged, a person
who happens to be blind are clumsy and unnecessary.
Let's just say what we mean.
Colleen Roth
President
At Large Chapter
NFB of Ohio



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