Person-first language

[rainbow_goddess]

I was asked to post a link to this here. This is my autism blog, which I update on a very irregular basis. The latest post is about "person-first" or "person-with" language. I'm sure we've all been told that it's important to say things like, "a person with diabetes" instead of "a diabetic"; "a person with epilepsy" instead of "an epileptic"; "a

Comments

[fallconsmate]

i'm sorry, "blind" and "visual impairment" are not the same. the fact that i cant see much more than 15 feet without it being double vision? impairment. if i opened my eyes and saw nothing, or only light and dark? that's essentially non-functioning eyes.

i dont call myself "a person with fatness", although i could call myself "a person with big boobs". or "a person with no ass to speak of".

personally, though?? i'd rather call myself Cat, because that's how a lot of people i love refer to me. the ones who dont, dont know the REAL me.

[rainbow_goddess]

I do a lot of autism awareness work, both in my community and online. When I talk about autism, I refer to myself as autistic or an autistic person. Many people, mainly parents of autistic children, start demanding that I use "person-first" language to refer to myself because that is how they refer to their children.

When I saw that a person who was fundraising for an autism charity was comparing autism to cancer, I said to her, "As an autistic person, I object to comparing autism with cancer. They're nothing alike." She informed me that if I would just start using person-first language, I would then see the similarity between autism and cancer.

Edit: Regarding "blind" vs "visual impairment," I got that from a list at my local disability centre. They said that you should use "person with ___ impairment" -- visual impairment, hearing impairment or mobility impairment, but I can't remember what "mobility impairment" was in place of.

[lilacsigil]

If they want person-first language to refer to their child, fair enough, but they have no right to demand that you refer to yourself the same way!

As a cancer survivor, I'd really like to know how exactly autism is like cancer! Maybe if I called myself "a person who has survived cancer" I'd understand...

[fallconsmate]

Mobility impaired to me is needing a cane or crutches or walker. They probably mean wheelchair and carer.

Autism and CANCER?? I've not ever heard of a person dying from autism (my apologies if some have)!! Its not a fatal illness, it's a disorder that doesn't affect everyone the exact same way. Of course you know that, though. :)

[rainbow_goddess]

Not specifically Asperger's, but one of the more common ways that autistic people, especially children, die is from murder by their parents or caregivers. One particularly infuriating promo by Autism Speaks features a mother talking about wanting to kill her autistic daughter -- while her daughter is in the room.

[londonbard]

"Mobility impairment" is in place of "lame" or "crippled".

I don't like any of them much; "impairment" implies that I can walk, but not well. I seem to spend too much time hearing people who are supposed to know better asking me why I can't just walk to ... I'm not sure if there's something about, "Because I can't walk" that they don't understand.