I'm Disabled.

[funnel101]

THIS. I'm disabled. You can call me a "person with a disability" if you want, but that's not how I identify.

"But at the same time, there’s no way to see the person without the disability. A person is not a blank canvas that other things are added onto. From the moment we’re born, perhaps even from the moment we’re conceived, our experiences shape

Comments

[kibbles]

I follow the lead of the person I am talking to, interacting with. This goes for pretty much everything. If there isn't a preference, and I am speaking or writing where strangers will see it, or people who don't know the difference will see it, I will use person first language since it brings up concepts and ideas that quite a lot of people (that I engage with) haven't bothered to think about. My family now pretty much says that Ted has autism, not that he is autistic. At his age at least I think that works because he is so many things, does so many things, and since it is so negative and pitiful (the reactions of others) when autistic is used, I will use it, to promote a better experience for him. Also, with kids, if you say "autistic" I think people imagine someone out of control and freaking out and zombie like or locked in or SOMETHING and not another human. If you say your kid has autism, they just think of a quirky kid, with some potential. It opens doors.

What a way to make a comment all about me, huh? But I am totally on board and understand the sentiment in the many ways people identify and describe themselves. The most respectful thing is to respect a person's identity, whatever it may be.

[funnel101]

I think there's a difference between using the word "disabled" and a condition-specific term like "autistic". I wouldn't want to be called an "arthritic" person, either. Disabled describes the state of my health, like "college graduate" describes my level of education. It's an interesting distinction, and you've given me something to think about. I may expand on this later.