See the Person, not the disability

“If you break your arm, you don’t get described as the broken armed. The broken arm will be debilitating, but when it heals, you will be the same old you again. If you lose your arm completely, you will most likely be described as a disabled person. This description implies you are no longer you, and the fact you have one arm says more about you than anything else.

See the person, not the disability.

Most of us, particularly those that write about accessibility, like to believe we already subscribe to this sentiment. Unfortunately, the terminology used by a lot of authors indicates that they see the disability first. This isn’t about being politically correct. Describing people by their disabilities is degrading. Using the correct terminology describes what a person has, not what a person is. People with disabilities are people first and foremost, and terminology can play an important part in removing barriers.”

(bron)

Een kort stukje dat me deed terug denken aan de presentatie van George Roberts tijdens de onderwijsdagen. Het was een van de verschillen tussen British English en Dutch English hadden ze gemerkt toen ze met een groep Britten hier op bezoek waren. Kan iemand zo’n lijst als hier staat voor het Nederlands maken?