Good Language
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and I am not keen on politically correct language. Especially being in my wheelchair. Some people look at me sitting in my wheelchair and say that I’m “mobility challenged” or “differently enabled” or “motion impaired.” And I don’t like those terms. To me, they are awkward attempts to whitewash (understate) and make respectable the tough, harsh reality of a very painful disability. And as far as PC language is concerned, it even includes that term “physically challenged.” So, to me? I’m a woman with a disability. I’m the lady with quadriplegia. I’m the person who deals with paralysis. A good and golden rule of thumb is to remember that people with disabilities are just that: first, we are people; and then, yes, we’ve got this disability. If you’d like to learn more about people-first language, then ask us at joniandfriends.org. I’m Joni Eareckson Tada.
© Joni and Friends
