The Language of Equality

The words we choose and use matter. I have found that we use different words for people with intellectual disabilities than we do regarding our own lives. This further sets us all up for relationships that are not equal. I understand why we use different words - the individuals are often involved in a medical system with its own jargon and professional terms. It would be better, though, not to think of them as people who are ill. A person is not necessarily ill just because they have a cognitive delay.

Back to words. When an individual needs to use the bathroom, we call it 'toileting'. When they go out to dinner, it's called an 'outing'. Meals are sometimes called 'feeding.' (Thankfully, not often.) When we want to help them find an activity they might like to do, it's called 'active treatment' or 'habilitation.' Snack is called 'refreshment.' Encouragement is called 'positive reinforcement.' When it is time to take pills, it's a 'med pass.' When staff come out of the office to work directly with individuals, this is often referred to by some as 'working on the floor.'

Then there are the labels. We have recently moved from 'mental retardation' to 'intellectual disability' as the acceptable diagnosis. The words 'mental retardation' did not become problematic until they became stigmatized. If people with intellectual disabilities were fully accepted as community members rather than denigrated throughout history, the words 'mental retardation' would not have turned into something negative. A particularly negative label currently used is 'consumer.' It was started with the best of intentions to replace the word 'participant' as I recall. By calling the individuals who receive services 'consumer', all we were saying is that they receive services. What it has meant historically, though, is that individuals with intellectual disabilities consumed resources without contributing something back to society.

In talking about and with people with disabilities, if we were to try to use the same words that we would use to describe our own lives, perhaps they would feel accepted and included rather than outsiders. Do the words we use create dependence? If we were less clinical in our terminology, maybe they would feel strong and capable rather than dependent.