Are They/Am I “Disabled” or Do They/I “Have a Disability”? Evolving and Self-Identifying (Dis)ability Language

 One of the most beautiful things about language is that it is alive—ever growing, shifting, and evolving in response to those who use it. And one of the trickiest things about language is that it is always growing, shifting, and evolving. Words, phrases, and terms pertaining to disability have been recorded for centuries and millennia, used by some to marginalize and oppress, and by others to define and emancipate themselves and their communities.

In our teaching and learning spaces, the language we and our students use can marginalize and oppress, or recognize and emancipate, those (of us) who identify as persons with a disability, or who are defined by others as persons with a disability.

In this workshop, we’ll tease apart and grapple with a few English terms and phrases from long ago to present day, and if we’re fortunate, some may be able to contribute words and phrases from additional languages. We’ll ask questions such as:

• Whose language is this, and why are they using it?
• What is the implied or intended meaning of this word/phrase, and what is its potential impact? What is “person-first,” self-identifying, and deficit language, and where are there tensions in the language we use today, pertaining to disability?
• How do we navigate these tensions in our classrooms?

Note: This workshop includes a 60-minute interactive workshop + a 30-minute optional (but encouraged) reflective conversation and Q&A.