I am a lover of words. I believe in their power and ability to be used to both hurt and heal. I also believe change doesn’t start and end with them alone.
As we reflect on employment discrimination and celebrate the invaluable contributions of People with Disabilities at work this month, we are considering how generations of ableism have ‘normalized’ dehumanizing concepts that penetrate our communication and treatment of others. When society teaches us to view another as inferior, how can we truly acknowledge the human in ourselves and each other?
Like any form of discrimination, ableism isn’t simply a list of phrases we need to stop using. Language is one tool within a larger oppressive system that contributes to the barriers faced by those of us with equity deserving identities. The words we use and how we use them are a product of what we choose to believe about ourselves, our communities, and the people around us. (And if you’ve followed along with our diversity, equity, and inclusion journey, you’ll know that what we choose to believe is almost always impacted by bias and narratives designed to maintain a power imbalance).
As described by the writer of Violence in Language, Lydia X.Z. Brown, “ableism is a systemic institutional devaluing of bodies and minds deemed deviant, abnormal, defective, subhuman, less than. Ableism is violence.”
Ableism manifests itself as a widely (and medically) accepted set of harmful beliefs and practices, including the belief that Persons with Disabilities require ‘fixing’. This belief can strip folks of respect and personal autonomy. It shows up as suggesting people are disabled because of their differences in body or mind, as opposed to being disabled because of the barriers in society that don’t allow us to move in the ways that are comfortable for our bodies and beings.
While language has been a tool to cause harm and deepen these kinds of beliefs, it can also be a tool to heal, connect more deeply, make communication more accessible, reclaim terms that have been used as derogatory, and to demonstrate respect.
Language is always evolving, and there is no pure unanimity on what terms should be used to describe an entire demographic of people. Some people hate the term BIPOC, some people choose to use it. As individuals, we have the agency to identify with the terminology and language that feel most relatable and accurate for ourselves. With that said, here are some current practices you may find helpful:
- We each have a duty to respect personal preferences and use the language to describe someone that they use for themselves. For example, some folks prefer people-first language, ie: Persons with Disabilities. If we identify as non-disabled, we typically use ‘Persons with Disabilities’ more universally. However, someone else may prefer to identify with disability-first language, i.e.: ‘Disabled Person’. After all, disability is not a dirty word, and for many, a source of pride.
- Being mindful of using sentiments like ‘your disability and story is an inspiration to me!’ (coming from non-disabled persons). Reactions like this can sometimes suggest someone is courageous simply for living with a disability. A blog by Life of Blind Girl unpacks this really well.
- Finding alternative phrases for things like ‘turning a blind eye’ or ‘turning a deaf ear’, which are statements that can reduce real disabilities to cliches and may suggest that Persons with Disabilities must miss out on information. Consider alternatives like, ‘This is important for us not to ignore.’
- Challenging the use of diminishing or victimizing verbs to describe Persons with Disabilities such as: ‘suffering from’, ‘victim of’, ‘stricken with’ or ‘wheelchair bound/confined.’ Consider replacing it with ‘experiencing’, ‘with’, or ‘living with’, or ‘wheelchair user’.
- Avoiding the use of mental health conditions to describe oneself, when one knowingly doesn’t possess the condition, ie ‘I am feeling ADHD’ or ‘I’m a little manic today’, which downplays the very real impacts that someone living with mental illness may be experiencing.
- One that has been really important for us in the recruiting industry, is to avoid using cliche or metaphorical language in our job postings that could be perceived literally, and opting for plain language instead. For example, rephrasing something like ‘we won’t judge a book by its cover’ to ‘we know there is more to a person than what’s on their resume.’ Plain language is like applying universal design to the written word.
These are just a few of the ways we can all challenge ableist views in how we communicate and connect.
We are constantly evolving our understanding, and are always grateful to our relationship with partners such as TEAM Work Co-operative for making supports accessible for both Persons with Disabilities and employers.
If you want to expand your learning journey in creating more accessible and inclusive workplaces, join P4G for one of our remaining cohorts of our EquitAbility Program! This fully-funded 3-month program is designed to help participants create a solid Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Accessibility foundation while deep-diving into how to attract, hire, and retain persons with disabilities in the workplace. If you have questions or want to learn more, email [email protected].
Stay on this journey with us, and follow along for more blogs by Marge and other P4G contributors at p4g.ca/placemaking-at-work.
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