Are you unwittingly Attacking Disabled People
In the English language, we have many expressions which can stab many people in the back. That metaphor doesn't hurt a group of people but many expressions do. Such as "falling on deaf ears", we use expressions like these often but do we really think about their impact. Many of us don't think we are hurting people.
When I was 17 I had Scarlett fever and as a side effect, I became completely deaf. I hated my deafness for lots of reasons. I felt excluded and angry, even though I recovered my hearing about eighteen months later. In the intervening period, it was difficult even though I learned sign language very quickly. What made it super hard was the tinnitus I suffered from twenty-four hours a day which drove me insane.
See there is another metaphor. How would that feel to someone with mental health issues. There are so many expressions
"Driven mad by grief"
"Drove me nuts"
"I was acting like a crazy person"
Seemingly innocuous expressions like these examples can do real, lasting harm to the people who are undermined by those who are attacked by them. One in four people in the USA have some form of disability and the global figures are over a million.
The correct term for discriminating against the disabled is "ableism" It is bad enough that disabled people are routinely discriminated against by the legal system, culture, and society, without being verbally bashed as well.
Examples of ableism are rife in the English language. Sadly all of these popular expressions encourage us to see disabilities as negatives. This gives an inaccurate perception of what being disabled means.
At the same time I became deaf I went to school with a girl who had no arms. She applied for a passport and one of the questions was
"Do you have any visible distinguishing marks?"
She wrote
"None"
When she came to travel she was allowed to leave the UK because the customs officer and herself had a different view of distinguishing marks.
Using metaphors as ableist language is a lazy way of speech, conveying an imprecise impression to the reader. It reinforces negative stereotypes, and as long as we perpetuate these expressions we are actively reinforcing those stereotypes.
Say what?
If ableist language is so harmful, why is it so common? Why might someone who would never purposefully insult a disabled person outright still find ableist expressions among their own vocabulary?
According to the University of Louisville linguistics professor Maurer, while anyone can create slang terms, the expression will only “gain currency according to the unanimity of attitude within the group”. This means on some level we all believe in the truth of those expressions.
The word dumb means someone who cannot speak because they are deaf and have never heard speech. When we use "dumb" as a slang term, means someone who is stupid or has low intelligence.
According to Rosa Lee Timm, the Maryland, US-based chief marketing officer of non-profit organization Communication Service for the Deaf, these terms aren't discussed because people who arent disabled believe it doesn't affect them.
Timm says
“Ableist language encourages a culture of separation. It defines, excludes and marginalizes people,”. She adds that this allows non-disabled people to be bystanders in the face of ableist culture infrastructure at large.
What non disabled people don't seem to realize is that at some point in their life they will develop a disability. They may need a motorized scooter to get around or a hearing aid. By thinking in ableist language and perpetuating they have created a negative cage for themselves.
We are all aware of how much impact our words have on a child's subconscious. They pick up our limiting beliefs because they don't know anything better and they think adults tell the truth. It is very easy for them to internalize their views of disabled people through slang
It hurts all of us when we dehumanize ways of acting and being and construct them wholly in the negative. it's not easy to make these changes in your writing to deconstruct these phrases. We have to start by thinking of the meaning we want to convey rather than parrot slang.
Let's start by asking our disabled friends what they feel like when they hear these expressions - what are we conveying to them.
Many of us would never knowingly be oppressive to any group of people but by using these expressions this is what we are passively doing. According to studies in the UK two-thirds of the UK are extremely uncomfortable talking to disabled people. As a restaurant owner for many years, I used to observe how people spoke to deaf people as if they were half-witted as well. I also observed this while being deaf I was at school and preparing to go to university but still treated as though I had limited intelligence.
I may not get it right all of the time but these days I am thinking hard about all my thoughts and how they make me and other people feel when they are uttered
Recent Comments
15
Spot on, Catherine...! A great reminder to think before speaking.
Oftentimes, we repeat what we've heard - usually a slang reference that picks up speed quickly and without thought, we say whatever comes to mind.
A common slang term is about the tank-top style of t-shirt.
Yeah, THAT one....
I try to choose words carefully, and that has been successful so far.
Catherine, are you still affected by the tinnitus?
Rudy
no Rudy thank goodness I am not when I got my hearing back which was about eighteen months two years , THE TINNITUS WENT
Excellent Post & Share Catherine, I to have Tinnitus in both ears that started in the service at the firing range in AK. Initially it was mild but was still always there. I have had to get new hearing aids every few years because of the progression of the sound getting louder.
I will be 80 years old this fall and it is very loud. I read a book in my kindle every night to put me to sleep and it falls out of my hands and my glasses fall off. The reason for the kindle is that it captures where I am so that I can continue the next night. It has cost me a pair of glasses that got crushed rolling over. But it is what it is and I have to live with it. Thank you for insightful Blog about Disabled People Catherine & I feel humbled about you health experiences.
You are lucky you got your hearing back. I never did. Bilateral Progressive Nerve Hearing Loss. I am totally Deaf myself and I use American Sign Language and I do admit that I say this to hearing people that my words do "fall on deaf ears." because I feel that people do not listen.
I agree with it it can be very sensitive word and can be an insult. If a hearing person said that to me, I would respond back, its true, I am deaf and belong to a Deaf culture in the Deaf community so yes, it is because I cant hear you. Often times they will gulp, and apologize to me.
I admit I do the same thing to them when they do not listen to me. I can speak and used to have some residual hearing when I was younger. I come from five generations of Deafness passed through my family. So in my case, my deafness is genetic.
It is true that we need to be cautious about how the words we express in our daily language not to be oppressive or insulting and be inclusive for all people no matter what.
Here in the United States of America, since the passing of the American Disabilities Act, Deaf people have gained better services and acquiring closed captioning services as well as obtaining a sign language ASL interpreters for medical appointments and in the hospital.
We still face oppression from the hearing community and still have a long way to go. I did attend a Deaf University, Gallaudet University in Washington DC, that land was granted in DC by the federal government during Abe Lincoln's time. Its the only Liberal Arts University for Deaf people to attend from all over the world and now has received national accreditation by the US Dept of Education that the University is up to par with the hearing community for their college education and they have several Ph.d programs in Deaf Education and Deaf Studies.
I know some British Sign Language. I do not know how the UK Deaf people fare there with the services. I am sure you have seen Deaf people there using BSL? We use one hand for the alphabet but I know in UK and in Australia, they use two hands for their alphabet in sign language.
We have so many labels these days and many of them are biased by the people who oppress in the first place that cause such label to exist.
In addition to my deafness, I am also physically disabled and use an electric wheelchair because I have MS. I get it, there are a lot of people out there who do not understand and are not sympathetic to the needs of people with a disabilities or to persons of color.
Its terrible, I agree. Each of us have a responsibility to be careful what we write and I do admit I am guilty of that myself in saying these things to hearing people.
There is a poem written by a Deaf person who signed the poem that states, "You have to be Deaf to Understand." We need to be more understanding about our word choice either written or uttered can cause hurtful feelings without knowing what we are doing. Its human nature, we all are not perfect but this blog is a great reminder what we need to do and thanks so much for that reminder.
To add-I am sorry if I said that, I know I recently wrote that on someone's else's post and I apologize for doing that, it was not meant for you, just that I get tired of hearing people not listening so if I stated anything to offend you, I apologize.
I am not easy to offend Brenda. I mostly take things in the spirit they were meant. Fortunately, at my age, my ego does not get involved.
Thank you so much for sharing your story. I am sorry that there are times when you feel unheard and unkistened to
I agree with you, Catherine.
I have always been uncomfortable since an early age with some of our throwaway phrases. I don't remember if there was a particular trigger.
:-)
Richard
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I would venture to say that disabled people are even more intelligent than non disabled people because they have had to improvise and learn ways to overcome their disability, and that makes them very smart in my book, Catherine!
I have a few disabled friends and I feel pretty unsmart around them seeing what they can do above and beyond me, but I don't view them any different. I have a minor disability incurred in 2015 when I lost over half of my right foot. It hobbles me a little, but I get around pretty darn good, and let's face it, I wouldn't have been running a marathon or anything else like that anyway.
This was an eloquent post you have written, and very thought-provoking, indeed!
Keep striving and thriving!
Jeff
Thank you Jeff and i take your point entirely
You're very welcome, Catherine!
I totally agree with you Jeffrey.
Thank you, Yvonne!