Words Matter: People First Language

In an effort to remove negative,divisive words from their law books, Idaho is considering dropping terms such as "mentally retarded" and replacing them with more modern and appropriate terms. The House approved the measure 68-1 to replace expressions considered offensive, and it now heads to the desk of Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter for final approval.

In the Ride Connection class "The Best Ride: A Passenger Care and Assistance Workshop" the discussion of more "preferred terms" and of of people first language takes center stage. For those who may be unfamiliar with the idea, people first language is way of speaking that puts the person first, and describes what the person has, not what the person is. Rather than saying "a disabled person" you would say "a person with a disability". It is a subtle, but important way of using language to guide our thinking. (For more information on the subject visit Kathie Snow's extensive website disabilityisnatural.com.)

I think it's great that lawmakers are becoming more sensitive to the fact that the words they use (both when speaking and when writing laws) make a huge difference in the way people are viewed. Labels can be hurtful, and the truth is most of the time the only labels we need to use are our riders' names. There are times however, where we must use certain descriptors to ensure that a rider is safely and comfortably served. In these cases, making sure that preferred terms and people first language are used by everyone shows respect for the individual and demonstrates to those who are listening that we are considering the person as a whole and focusing on what they need, rather than seeing them as a collection of "deficits" or "problems" to be overcome.

What do you think about the use of people first language?