I'm not "differently abled"... I'm disabled

[@reinaknowles8987]

I really agree with a lot of what you said! I feel like some of the new “inclusive ideas” being put out there right now can get a little strange and out-there. 😂 You made a really good point that refusing to call a person disabled almost insinuates that “disabled” is a dirty word. Often, I feel that the people-first type of language is very helpful to respect and acknowledge those with disabilities and conditions that aren’t physical, (ie. autistic person vs person living with autism). On the other hand, I have hearing loss, and I tell people that I’m deaf, or that I’m hard of hearing. They understand that, and I feel like it’d be bizarre and unnatural to implement specific “inclusion language” to describe myself as deaf. “I’m living with deafness.” 😂

[@Siberianpanther]

As a women who grew up with hEDS and didn't want to be different. My battle is being lost, since many with EDS, the symptoms become so worse as you get older. I am disabled. I barely can walk, eat or work. My family members never acknowledged my pain because they would say, but you look so good, you must be exaggerating your symptoms. Lots of love

[@serasvega8448]

I agree with most things you and Molly said. But I actually thought about the difference between person first and identity first and I prefer identity first to describe myself BECAUSE my disability is one characteristic of many and I want people to treat it as such. For example usually you say "smart person" instead of "person with high IQ" or you say "pretty person" instead of "person with subjectively pretty appearance". So why should you say " Person with disability/disabilities"? That's why I prefer "disabled person". 🤷🏼‍♀️ this is just what I use to describe myself and I actually use both when I talk about the community. Tbh I don't care too much and I totally get it when other people don't care. As long as you don't call me names it's fine.

[@amandarowland]

So for person first, it's the idea that you shouldn't be identified BY your disability, but as a person that happens to have a disability. The problem comes when you are an actual disabled person, feeling like their needs are being ignored. I am an autistic woman. I will never not be autistic, and autism can not be separate from my identity. It even affects my personality, so I don't want that part of me to be ignored.

[@amandarowland]

I feel like "differently abled" though accurate, is kind of patronizing. I'm disabled. Not unable.

[@0mniP0t3nt]

You are a young woman; I'm slightly older--36 to be precise. I've "been around the block," per se. I'm NOT saying I'm better; please don't take it that way. But, at the same time, I have been called everything under the sun: crippled, handicapped, disabled, physically impaired, "differently abled," and of course slurs. But I have to tell you, one of the most-common, at least in Europe, is something you didn't even touch upon. That term is "Invalid." Now, if anyone who happens to come across this post, and who hails from Central/Eastern Europe, can confirm; the term "Invalid" is embedded within the language itself (Russian, Czech, Ukrainian, Slovak, etc.) So, let's say you are referring to someone who uses a wheelchair, you would say "wózek inwalidzki;" the literal translation of this word is a "chair for an invalid." I didn't make this up; I read/speak/write (self-taught) in the Father-tongue; it's a Masculine culture, things are referred predominately in the Masculine. Surnames, for instance, are differentiated, for the most part, between "-ski" for Male and "-ska" for Female. So, what is my point? Anything and everything is "better" than "Invalid," at least in my estimation. When everything is weighed against that diminishing word; I think most people would agree. Of course, people can disagree--I guess--but here's just a brief exercise. If we were having a conversation and I said, "Oh, I couldn't disagree with you more on [X]" versus "Oh, your opinion on [X} is completely INVALID," I think you'll agree that you'd rather face opposition to an opinion you had versus being said your opinion is INVALIDATED (as if completely). This was one of the reasons I called my personal blog "INVALID VOICE." It's half because it works as a title (catchy) but also as a middle-finger to the idea that a voice (any one) can be considered INVALIDATED simply because of who they are. *SHRUG* Anyways, if anyone is interested, my blog can be found here: invalidvoice.wordpress.com/