Comments on: The (Un)Importance of Words http://embracingchaos.stephanieallencrist.com/2010/05/the-unimportance-of-words/ The Autism Blog Wed, 16 May 2012 23:33:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Stephanie http://embracingchaos.stephanieallencrist.com/2010/05/the-unimportance-of-words/comment-page-1/#comment-6417 Stephanie Sat, 15 May 2010 21:04:22 +0000 http://embracingchaos.stephanieallencrist.com/?p=219#comment-6417 You make an excellent point about community. The language we use is affected by the community we choose to identify with, and vice versa. Identifying with a community is often a stronger motivationg than word reclaimation itself, because word reclaimation only happens with a "critical mass" of individuals. People-first language helps build the critical mass of people-first thinking, but only when it goes beyond the issue of language and seeks to address the way people actually think. Which, again, is better done as a community effort. You make an excellent point about community. The language we use is affected by the community we choose to identify with, and vice versa. Identifying with a community is often a stronger motivationg than word reclaimation itself, because word reclaimation only happens with a “critical mass” of individuals. People-first language helps build the critical mass of people-first thinking, but only when it goes beyond the issue of language and seeks to address the way people actually think. Which, again, is better done as a community effort.

]]> By: Kali http://embracingchaos.stephanieallencrist.com/2010/05/the-unimportance-of-words/comment-page-1/#comment-6404 Kali Sat, 15 May 2010 01:47:07 +0000 http://embracingchaos.stephanieallencrist.com/?p=219#comment-6404 You're right. What we need is person-first thinking, and person-first language is but a small stepping stone when we've a whole river to cross. It does at least offer some small advance. While I'm not particularly bothered by disabled people vs people with disabilities, I use the latter in writing and speaking because I want to push people to take that first small step, even if all the step is for them is wondering why I say PWD instead of 'disabled people'. As far as words like 'crip' and 'gimp'...I've had a significant disability for almost 3 years now. It's only recently that I started getting comfortable enough with those words to use them. For me, it's as much about community identity as it is about reclamation of language. I think the idea of reclamation of language is great, but when that was all I saw 'crip' as, I wasn't comfortable using it. I'd respect when other people did, but I wouldn't use it. But when I started seeing it as a way of choosing to mark myself as part of the disability community, it changed my comfort level. I am still rather self-conscious about using it, but it's a word I do use now. I imagine that's true for a lot of other people, too. When I call myself a crip or a gimp, what I mean is that I'm a disability advocate, a person actively working on improving the place of people with disabilities in the world if only by talking about it and making myself heard. ~Kali www.brilliantmindbrokenbody.wordpress.com You’re right. What we need is person-first thinking, and person-first language is but a small stepping stone when we’ve a whole river to cross. It does at least offer some small advance. While I’m not particularly bothered by disabled people vs people with disabilities, I use the latter in writing and speaking because I want to push people to take that first small step, even if all the step is for them is wondering why I say PWD instead of ‘disabled people’.

As far as words like ‘crip’ and ‘gimp’…I’ve had a significant disability for almost 3 years now. It’s only recently that I started getting comfortable enough with those words to use them. For me, it’s as much about community identity as it is about reclamation of language. I think the idea of reclamation of language is great, but when that was all I saw ‘crip’ as, I wasn’t comfortable using it. I’d respect when other people did, but I wouldn’t use it. But when I started seeing it as a way of choosing to mark myself as part of the disability community, it changed my comfort level. I am still rather self-conscious about using it, but it’s a word I do use now. I imagine that’s true for a lot of other people, too. When I call myself a crip or a gimp, what I mean is that I’m a disability advocate, a person actively working on improving the place of people with disabilities in the world if only by talking about it and making myself heard.

~Kali
http://www.brilliantmindbrokenbody.wordpress.com

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