Terminology

I know, I know. Seems like a big snore. However, I would like to make a case against a particular word that holds a lot of power. Somewhat obviously it’s the word ‘disabled’. It may seem surprising I am only discussing words now, but I didn’t want to get into the heavier stuff until at least a few blog posts in. And here we are: I’ve managed to keep my promise to myself, to blog about things I care about. 

Words have enormous power. Once a word is defined and categorised, it can be very hard to redefine it. So, I’d like to think about the outdated terms for someone who is not considered as able as another person. A few that come up include ‘handicapped’, ‘weakened’ and ‘paralysed’. These did not come from me. These came from a website I have used many times, mostly when I ran out of ways to say ‘however’ in my thesis. Namely, the trusty website http://www.thesaurus.com. The antonyms are just as telling, that of ‘strong’ and ‘healthy’ (and of course my favourite, ‘able’). 

I don’t know why I take almost personal offence to this. I believe words are beautiful things. On the other hand, they can cause great damage, whether intentionally or not. I believe ‘disabled’ has become a damaging word. The connotations include being in a wheelchair for the rest of your life, and that life is filled with being unhappy. Apologies for the downer here, but I feel it is pivotal to discuss the damage this word has done. We live in a world of possibilities, but some of these are just not available to someone like me. Once again I apologise. I don’t mean to be overly negative, it’s just how it can sometimes feel. 

Don’t get me wrong, I have an amazing life and enjoy it greatly. Most of the time. We all have our down days, whether ‘disabled’ or not, and no one’s pain is less important than someone else’s. The amount of times people have complained of a cold to me, then apologised in a shocked voice, is actually quite staggering. Because I’m ‘disabled’ surely my pain is more valid/important/real than theirs? Of course it isn’t. Of course you can moan about your cold, as long as you let me moan too.

‘Disabled’ has become somewhat of a blasé term. It is used everywhere. The acceptable term for someone like me. Must we all be lumped into this category? How about just saying I’m Steph, who has MS? I have never wanted to be defined by my MS, but it is a part of my life. I’m still me; annoying, loud, chatty and sweary. I’d much prefer to be defined by these words than ‘disabled’.