“Words! What power they hold. Once they have rooted in your psyche, it is difficult to escape them. Words can shape the future of a child and destroy the existence of an adult. Words are powerful. Be careful how you use them because once you have pronounced them, you cannot remove the scar they leave behind.”
― Vashti Quiroz-Vega

Disability language can be like an ever-changing wilderness of words. It keeps evolving and if we don’t keep up, we can get bewildered, lost, behind and off-track.

How do we talk about our d”isability? What do we silently say to ourselves, about ourselves?

Are we “polio victims,” “polios,”  people living with polio,” “polio survivors,”  or  “people who had polio?”

Are we “wheelchair users” or “wheelchair-bound?” Strong or weak?

How do we describe ourselves? Are we each a “handicapper” or a “person who has a disability?” Aren’t we first and foremost a human being with a mind, body and spirit; rather than a beggar with a “cap in hand” (hence the word, handicapper)?

In that light, should the signs read “handicapped parking” or perhaps be changed to “accessible parking?”

Consider this…changing our hearts can change our words and changing our words can change our hearts.

Hmmm…What words do our hearts tell us to articulate to the wide-eyed world around us? To the children in our lives? The shopkeepers? The gas station attendant? The cable guy? The health care professionals? The n ews reporters? What are we teaching? They will take our lead.

When we consider and choose what to say to others, the right words will almost always emerge  if we focus on our:

• dignity
• strength
• personal power and
• positive self-acceptance.

Words! Our diction sure makes a difference.  We have the power to help shape our own, and our culture’s, worldview–just by becoming keenly aware of the words we use in daily conversation. Further, when we couple our word choice with an appropriate tone of voice, we magnify our meanings and messages to each other.  So, of course, it’s not just what we say, it’s how we say it that can be so powerful.

 

“They can be like the sun, words. 
They can do for the heart what light can for a field.” 

                                                            ― Juan de la Cruz, The Poems of St. John of the Cross

 

We know that speaking and hearing them… writing and reading them… the right words can be such a nourishing source of light and life to all of us who continue to trek forward through what often may feel like an unpredictable wilderness of  the latest, most socially-acceptable terminology regarding disability.

In spite of the constant changes, I want to continue to be a positive influence on this earth. I’m ready to keep up with what’s new, what’s most relevant and what’s of greatest help.  You?

Have you seen the updated list of positive and objective language that is being used to describe all things disability?

Read the latest here: Your Words, Our Image 8th Ed.

 

Agree? Disagree? Neutral? Any thoughts on this topic?