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Identity-First Language : Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN).Guidelines for Writing About People with Disabilities : ADA National Network.
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There are many good resources for learning more about language that conveys respect for disabled people and their experiences. AHEAD embraces the word “disability” and actively avoids the use of outmoded euphemisms such as “special needs,” “physically or mentally challenged,” differently- or alternatively-abled, etc. When referencing disability, naming it explicitly is important. This is not a directive or a recommendation about how others should identify it is one way to model new thinking on disability that we see reflected in disability studies and in the disability rights community. Disability is a lived experience with far-reaching political, social, and economic implications.Īs AHEAD moves to promote concepts of disability informed by social justice, we are adopting identity-first language across all communication, information and materials. These language choices underscore the differences between impairment and disability. “Impairment” is the term used by disability studies scholars to refer to a physiological difference in one’s body or brain. I have an impairment, and I am disabled by societal barriers. Example: I am disabled, queer, and Latinx. Identity-first language references the variety that exists in how our bodies and brains work with a myriad of conditions that exist, and the role of inaccessible or oppressive systems, structures, or environments in making someone disabled. Identity-first language challenges negative connotations by claiming disability directly. I am separate from the stereotypes and stigma you associate with disability. As professionals, many of us have been taught that person-first language is preferable, and some disabled individuals choose to identify as a person first, based on their personal orientation to disability.
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Person-first language distances the person from the disability, ostensibly to separate the person from the negative connotations and stigma with which we have all been socialized. Both options have implications for how we think about disability. There are two prevalent ways that we identify with disability in language: person-first and identity-first.
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Language is a powerful way to demonstrate professional values and, in our specific case, our beliefs about disability. For a more detailed overview, visit our student learning and development outcomes webpage.As AHEAD Board members and staff have engaged in the processes of developing the next five years’ strategic plans and updating the Program and Professional Standards, we have been thinking about language across AHEAD’s communication and resources. Each of the primary domains in this framework is outlined briefly below. The Student Affairs framework for student learning and development identifies desired outcomes of our work with students and helps our team members develop program objectives, uniting theory with practice.
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