Re: Language -- am I being too vigillant?

The prevailing theory is
>to use "people first" language, like "a person who is blind" or "users
>with hearing impairments" because disability should not be THE defining
>characteristic.



Just to add fuel to the fire...a group here in New Zealand representing
people with disabilities have chosen to use the label disabled persons, as
they reckon that society and *mainstream attitudes* are the disabling
factors of their lives, restrictions are created by so called able bodied,
and this creates the problems in their lives (eg stairs, inaccessible
websites...). They are disabled by society not by the way they are.

Penny Harrison
Special Education - Online Editor
penny@tki.org.nz

http://www.tki.org.nz
Te Kete Ipurangi - The Online Learning Centre
PO Box 19098
Wellington
New Zealand

tel:  0064 9 445 7775
fax: 0064 4 445 2775
cell: 021 407 057

Received on Thursday, 8 November 2001 15:40:42 UTC