Editorial: Give citizens with disabilities ‘the dignity they deserve’
February 10th, 2010An excerpt from an editorial in the Boston Globe:
Language is a malleable thing; plenty of slurs that were once commonplace are now considered verboten, and that’s a good thing. But the broader issue isn’t a single word so much as an attitude. The mentally disabled have always been easy targets, even for people who should know better: President Obama had to apologize for making a derogatory crack about the Special Olympics on “The Tonight Show” last spring. And while political correctness can go too far, there’s much to be said for demanding sensitivity — especially from official and influential corners — and for an evolution in the standards of personal decency.
The point of the campaign to end the “r” word is, at heart, to give disabled citizens the dignity they deserve. If it works, it will prove that the mentally disabled are gaining political clout, and that our society has the capacity to change for the better.
Our RSS Feed
February 10th, 2010 at 10:31 am
I appreciate reading the news and articles that this website presents. i work for a center for independent living and sometimes i bring these issues to the attention of my coworkers. however i can’t help but notice the lack of people first lanuage. it is best to say “people with disabilities” instead of “disabled people” as one example. this signifies that our disabilities do not define us. i know that i am more than just my disability!