DISABLED : What’s that
Main Entry: disabled Part of Speech: adjective Definition: incapacitated
Synonyms:
broken-down, confined, decrepit, disarmed, hamstrung, handicapped, helpless, hurt, incapable, infirm, laid-up, lame, maimed, out-of-action, out-of-commission, paralysed, powerless, run-down, sidelined, stalled, weakened, worn-out, wounded, wrecked
Usage Note: Disabled is the clear preference in contemporary American English in referring to people having either physical or mental impairments, with the impairments themselves preferably termed disabilities. Handicapped—a term derived from the world of sports gambling—is still in wide use but is sometimes taken to be offensive, while more recent coinages such as differently abled or handicapable have been generally perceived as condescending euphemisms and have gained little currency. · The often-repeated recommendation to put the person before the disability would favour persons with disabilities over disabled persons and person with paraplegia over paraplegic. Such expressions are said to focus on the individual rather than on the particular functional limitation. Respect for the preferences of this group calls for observing this rule, especially in formal contexts, but the “person-first” construction has not found wide acceptance with the general public, perhaps because it sounds somewhat unnatural or possibly because in English the last word in a phrase tends to have the greatest weight, thus undercutting the intended purpose. See Usage Note at handicapped.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
What is disabled?
I am sure there are thousands if not hundreds of thousands of people around the world who are in the same boat when it comes to disability. There are some who cannot be seen to be disabled, like hearing impaired or people with internal disabilities, like heart, kidney, liver or other organ malfunction. Mental disabilities and so many other kinds of disabilities, that it would be a mammoth task to name them all or to list them all here. Suffice to say that there are some disabilities that are not visibly obvious.
I made the terrible mistake of flying off the handle at some poor defenceless person who had dared to park in the allocated disabled bay. Because I could not see any evidence of a crutch, walking stick or wheelchair I had the temerity to assume that this person was able bodied. Even when this person explained how he was disabled I was loathe believing his explanation.
I have been wheelchair bound for a few years now but went the walking stick, walker and crutches route before I got here. We of the wheelchair, walker, crutches and walking stick brigade sometimes forget that there are other disabilities than ours and tolerance and understanding should be practised when confronted with one of the many insults and injustices that come our way in day to day life.
Unfortunately I never got to apologizing to the person as we both left the scene of confrontation in a huff. (If you ever read this. Sorry sir).
Since being confined to my chair I have tended on occasion to expect people to know how to handle me and my situation and get really annoyed when people don’t offer assistance. Sometimes they just don’t know what to do and need to be guided by us. Unless they have experience with disabilities and the disabled they won’t know how to handle us, or could be afraid of the unknown as it were.
Now, to take a leaf out of my own book I try to keep my anger in check and use the opportunity to teach someone new about disability. It is amazing how willing people are to assist where they can. If you’re in a queue and getting tired ask for a chair. Ask the person in front of you for help, I have found that they are only too willing to oblige.
Put your pride in your pocket and ask for help, don’t expect people to instinctively know that you are disabled. I pray daily for the calm and patience to deal with each situation as it happens. If you don’t need to, don’t jump the queue, wait your turn but do so in comfort. Don’t wait until you’re on the verge of collapse before you ask for help. Keep your cool.
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/disabilities-articles/disabled-whats-that-1278861.html
Written by Anissa Wardell - Contact your local Congressman to make a difference!
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