"One of the main reasons I’m against saying “a person with a disability” is because we don’t say “a person with womanness” or “a person with blackness” or “a person with gayness” or “living with gayness” because we understand how entwined those things are with who a person is and the importance they hold as an identity."
- Robin Lambird
I spend most of my time writing about disability and I say the word "disability" frequently and effortlessly throughout the day.
I say it so often that it's become as benign as saying "ice cream" so, I'm shocked when I find myself in a room with a relative or friend, and suddenly saying the word becomes a buzzkill. Their visible discomfort is contagious and I'm reminded of the fear that surrounds that word.
Why are we so afraid of saying "disability"?
Even with growing representation of disability as a culture in mainstream media, there continues to be discomfort, uncertainty, and disagreement around how we use the word.
Here are 3 takes on saying the word that I wanted to share this week:
Barbara King talks to Lawrence Carter-Long about the #SayTheWord campaign and why he started it.
Barbara J. King
A personal letter from musician Gaelynn Lea Substack on why it's important for her to #SayTheWord.
Gaelynn Lea
A fantastic and whimsical video clip from Robin Lambird on why they choose to use identity-first language.
Thank you for being here. 💚
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