How we talk and what we say is so important! We know that what we say and how we say it can have a lasting effect on people whether or not we mean to do so. I am so grateful for the information and videos that were shown in week 3 because they helped me understand why people first language is so important and helped me to understand a little more in how it works.
https://www.thearc.org/who-we-are/media-center/people-first-language.
This website also provided insight with a quote that said,
“Our words and the meanings we attach to them create attitudes, drive social policies and laws, influence our feelings and decisions, and affect people’s daily lives and more. How we use them makes a difference. People First Language puts the person before the disability, and describes what a person has, not who a person is. Using a diagnosis as a defining characteristic reflects prejudice, and also robs the person of the opportunity to define him/herself.”
YES! I love this! We make attitudes, by how we speak, we effect our attitudes and shape the ones of people around us. I want to speak in such a way that oozes love and helps breed confidence among everyone I come in contact with.
TIPS:
- Speak of the person first, than the disability
- Emphasize abilities, not limitations
- Do not label people as part of a disability group—don’t say “the disabled.” Say “people with disabilities.”
- Don’t give excessive praise or attention to a person with a disability are don’t patronized.
- Choice and independence are important; let the person do or speak for himself of herself as much as possibilities.
- If addressing an adult say “Bill” instead of “Billy”
- A disability is a functional limitation that interferes with a person’s ability to walk, hear, learn, etc. A handicap describes a situation or barrier imposed by society, the environment, or oneself
- Focus on what the person can do and not on what they can’t do. Each participant can add excitement and variety to the group and/or program.
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