Stop Trying to be PC

 Over the decades, labels and language have changed to represent shifts in culture and civil rights. For instance, black swapped to African American, Hispanic has switched to Latino, and disabled has been replaced with person with a disability. All of these alterations were made with good intentions, but are they truly representative of the communities that they define? 

My last example, person with a disability, is the prime template for Person First Language, or PFL. This type of expression prioritizes putting the person first and mentioning the disability as something they have,  not something they are. PFL originated in the 80's and 90's to replace offensive terms such as the wretched R word and to deteriorate harmful stereotypes surrounding disability. The cause was to advocate that

George W. Bush signing IDEA into law

disabled people are people and are more than just their disability. What was posing as a movement for disability rights was headlining for real change such as converting the title of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1990. It is becoming more commonly standard for professional settings and platforms to require the use of PFL to advertise politically correct ideals.

The advocacy of PFL aims to positively represent the disability community but somehow failed to ask the disability community for their preference. A common saying within this community is "nothing about us, without us" so we should honor their opinions when it comes to their own labels and representations. Many disabled people feel as though this model of language counterproductively assumes that disability is shameful in nature. PFL also unnecessarily emphasizes the humanity of disabilities, yet someone who is autistic is no less a person than someone who is neurotypical. Lastly, disability is a fundamental part of who someone is. This is why the disability community is protesting PFL with a countermovement, Identity First Language, or IFL. This prioritizes one's disability by expressing disabled person instead of a person with a disability. Much like how the LGBTQ community has reclaimed the term, queer, the disability community is shedding the stigma behind disabled. The disability community wants to emphasize the pride they share for their identities and unique cultures, with the deaf and autistic communities serving as the frontmen of the IFL movement.

For recap, disabled is not a bad word nor a bad thing. Rather than labels posing limitations, they can be a source of empowerment for disabled people. Although not every disabled person will be a proponent of IFL, it is always best practice to ask the individual of their preference. As opposed to following political correct terms coined by non disabled, neurotypical people, let's continue to listen to and uplift the voices of the disability community about their preferences for language and representation.  As society and culture evolve, our language should continue to evolve to reflect these changes.