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

[rainbow_goddess]

The link is where it says "On person-first language."

I do a lot of autism awareness events, and I'd like to get into doing autism advocacy. I've been interviewed in the newspaper and on the radio, and I've attended many events for disability awareness and autism awareness, and I talk a lot about my autism online. When people try to get me to donate to Autism Speaks fundraisers, I try to educate them about Autism Speaks and I start out by saying, "As an autistic adult, this is how I feel about Autism Speaks." When someone was going around saying that autism was like cancer, I answered them by saying, "As an autistic person, I object to the characterization of autism as being like cancer." When I say things like that, that is when people start telling me that I MUST refer to myself as a "person with autism" or I will never understand why autism is like cancer or why Autism Speaks is the greatest thing since sliced bread or whatever they're talking about.

[rainbow_goddess]

Sometimes I say I have Asperger's, and sometimes I say I'm autistic. In some places online, a lot of people have very negative attitudes towards people who say they have Asperger's because they've run into people who say they have it as an excuse to be rude. In other situations, people don't know what Asperger's is, so then I have to explain that it's an autism spectrum disorder. Other times I have said, "I'm autistic" and the person says, "Do you have Asperger's Syndrome?"

I mostly use "Asperger's Syndrome" if I'm talking to other Aspies or if I'm talking about Asperger's Syndrome specifically as a discrete condition, such as when I am promoting my Aspie social group.

[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. :)

[nightshade1972]

I much prefer the "-ic" descriptor to the "person with" descriptor. I know other ppl with hydrocephalus who feel differently. I personally don't have a problem with someone else wanting to use "person with" language to describe themselves. What I *do* have a problem with is when that person tries to insist I refer to *myself* that way, if I don't choose to. If I don't insist you call yourself hydrocephalic, then you don't get to insist I refer to myself as a person with hydrocephalus. There are actually important things in life to worry about; semantics shouldn't be one of them.

[sammason]

I agree that for some disabilities, there isn't a sensible way to make an adjective. I'm not 'multiply sclerotic'; obviously not

[rainbow_goddess]

I think in some cases, such as when it comes to using a wheelchair, what can be most helpful is instead of naming the disability, simply saying something like, "I use a wheelchair, so I need to know if the building is accessible." I don't usually need any accommodations for my Asperger's, but when I had my vision problems I was invited to go a karaoke night at a local pub. So I said, "My vision isn't very good; I don't know if I'll be able to read the song lyrics," so before the karaoke actually started they let me look at the lyrics prompter and figure out where would be a good place to stand so that I could see it properly. Another time I was invited to a (different) pub with friends, but I have absolutely no night vision, and I expressed concern about being able to find them in the dark (because for some unknown reason, a lot of pubs and bars are dark) so one of them met me at the door and took me to their table. I didn't say, "I have cataracts." I simply said, "I can't see very well."

[sammason]

This.

[sammason]

More generally: do people like the name I chose for this comm? I could change it if required. Personally I find the word 'crip' empowering but I don't want to annoy people.