The use of language that was once employed to silence or dehumanize people is now being rectified by reclaiming words that were once harmful to the very communities they were used against. Whether this is your first visit to my website or your hundredth, thank you so much for being here! The word spaz is slang for spastic, which is a medical term that was originally used to describe people with cerebral palsy. Your doctors will tell you that. The human body is much more fragile than you might believe. The word arose in the Middle Ages to neutrally describe a slow state or a delay, but in the 1970s, its meaning shifted to offensively describe people with cognitive delays. Is there anything we can do to help. We can also show you a dictionary definition to prove the point we just raised. On the battleground of disability rights, the reclamation of words is just one of many weapons to be used. As explained above, crip has strong offensive undertones and, therefore, should never be used by someone who is not referring to themselves or their own community. Alas, we dont (yet) live in this open and equal utopia. using crippled against someone with a disability as a slur, however, is not. Terms. [7] On the other hand, there is also a grammar structure called identity-first language that construes disability as a function of social and political experiences occurring within a world designed largely for nondisabled people. They may be left with an injury that can cause them to hobble, limp, or require a wheelchair from that damage. It rolls off the tongue naturally because its hardly ever questioned. I know there are certain words that are more acceptable for certain groups to say. There are plenty of other disabilities as well, and the term disabled refers to them all. Here are a few examples of how they work: Incapacitated works when talking about a disability. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. "A disability or chronic health condition is simply one characteristic." According to Hourston, examples of 'incorrect' language versus 'people first' language include: Mentally retarded - use: developmental disability or intellectual disability Cripple, deformed, birth defect - use: person with a disability Our present day definition has allowed our societys biases and assumptions of the disability community to influence and expand the ways in which we use the word. Privacy Now, insane is a legal term to describe people who dont understand that their unlawful behavior was criminal because of their mental state, but its also used to put down people with mental illness. If we do not know what has caused a person to be disabled, there is nothing stopping us from asking. Language, as defined by non-disabled people toward disabled people, reduces disabled people into woeful figures in need of help, or a cure, or (worse) something to be feared and avoided. Privacy Policy. limp) and creopere, or someone that creeps (ie. Her work has also been featured on Her Campus, HelloGiggles, POPSUGAR, Project Wednesday, HerStory, Finding Bohemia, Thought Catalog, YourTango, Shape, ScreenRant, MSN and Yahoo!, as well as in the Written By anthology. I don't understand why retard is considered a slur now. People with a variety of mental health conditions are often called insane for having panic attacks, manic episodes, or hallucinations and this phrasing could prevent them from getting the help they need. Other marginalized groups have done this, including women taking back the word bitch and using it as an affectionate label for friends, or the LGBTQ+ community reclaiming queer to use as an umbrella term to reference themselves. ", "People-First Language: An Unholy Crusade", "Resource on Person-First Language - The Language Used to Describe Individuals With Disabilities", American SpeechLanguageHearing Association, "Disability etiquette - Tips On Interacting With People With Disabilities", "I'm Not A "Person With a Disability": I'm a Disabled Person", "Terms to Avoid When Writing About Disability | National Center on Disability and Journalism", "ENC1101 First-year Composition - Guidelines for Avoiding Ableist Language", "Advice for Staff - Disability Etiquette - Appropriate Language and Behaviour", "The Pitfalls of Political Correctness: Euphemisms Excoriated", "The Transcontinental Disability Choir: What is Ableist Language and Why Should You Care? Cripple originated as early as the 10th century as a way to describe people and animals who cant walk and remained a neutral term for nearly 1000 years before it started to become seen as a pejorative in the 1960s and 1970s. [6], In the same way that the term "queer" has been reappropriated by the gay rights movement, members of the disability rights movement have reclaimed words such as "cripple", "crip", and "gimp" to refer to themselves. 2022 Mighty Proud Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The definition of injured, according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is hurt or physically harmed., Typically, injuries are not lifelong. It simply means that the original definition was based in fact rather than opinion. You are not nearly as injured as you seem to think you are! As in, "cripple is a slur, BUT-" "People shouldn't use cripple, BUT-" "Well sure it's a slur, BUT-" "I agree the cripple is a slur BUT-" Do you know why I loathe 'but'? Against TOS. She graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in 2016 with a B.S. Youve likely seen the r-word all over the internet and you may also have spotted plenty of campaigns against it. Our daily newsletter is FREE and keeps you up-to-date with the world of HR. Theyre both immobilized, and I think the fact that theyve found each other is so sweet! For some, this word is so deeply entrenched with derogatory connotations that it is filled with implications of disabled people being subhuman or useless. The word was recorded as early as 950 AD, and derives from the Proto-Germanic krupilaz. To expand upon the metaphor of language being one of the first battlegrounds, Wades imagery of a fista weapon to fight withis appropriate. A way to linguistically combat this notion is through the reclamation of words. In both the noun and adjective section of the definition, the words flawed and imperfect are used. Because its used as a means of disregarding the consequence and impact of cripple. Founder of The Rolling Explorer. Ive been damaged ever since that rugby match. belong on the web but only to positively or neutrally describe someone with autism. is cripple a slur. The exact quote was "people have been crippled for months from the virus". [8], List of disability-related terms with negative connotations, Lyttkens, C. Hampus. Join the community to learn how you can become an ally to the disability community. Its a potential way to turn the tables against those seeking to harm them, and a compelling way indeed. It's offensive! parker. We dont tend to think about word choice unless we are called out on it, whether by a culturally-forward friend or by an editor reading our essay. If you think someones ignoring you, you may feel tempted to say that your words have fallen on deaf ears but some members of the Deaf community would like you to pick different phrasing. It surfaces in policies, actions, media, and the. Typically, wheelchair users are known as immobilized. When she is not writing, editing, or supporting fellow Mighties in recovery, Kelly enjoys listening to music, watching true crime shows, and cuddling all the cats. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Fai lure to train staff on disability and diversity is a disaster waiting to happen, says one leading employment lawyer, after a . As you can see, it is extremely offensive. There are no situations where you should use it. Reclamation of words is not a phenomenon unique to the disability community, which Nunn points out in his article. The definition of incapacitated, according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is to make someone unable to work or do things normally, or unable to do what they intended to do.. D Daft, consider nonsensical or feckless [14] [25] Definitions of Cripple* - Merriam Webster Noun 1. Cripple originated as early as the 10th century as a way to, Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a completely valid diagnosis, but that doesnt mean its a great way to describe yourself. These posts will provide definitions, explanations, as well as alternative words and phrases to use in place of the one being examined. The following is a list of terms, used to describe disabilities or people with disabilities, which may carry negative connotations or be offensive to people with or without disabilities. It is a slur deserving of its own respect. For example, a word like cripple might carry the underlying meaning of someone frail or disfigured, someone like Tiny Tim from A Christmas Carol: a young boy unable to fully live independently as he is disabled. Crippled is a harsh word to refer to someone who is disabled. Thats why we thought it would be wise to show you the better (and appropriate) alternatives to using crippled in this article. Before, I drew comparisons between how marginalized communities such as women and LGBTQ+ people have successfully reclaimed words, so I would like to apply this people first language to them. You can generally tell when someone is immobilized based on whether they can move their legs or not. 10 Other Ways to Say May I Have Your Attention, Please?. I think shes been injured for about three months. Answer (1 of 2): People do not like the term "crippled," claiming it is offensive and the usual "politically correct term" to use has been handicapped. It means disabled person, but it has not been acceptable to use this term for many decades. I love educating others on topics of disability, I can only continue to do that with your help. https://mighty-well.com/collections/all. Through the creation of multiple tenses and the addition of belief, the word now has such strong negative connotations that any use of any form of the term is considered offensive by many in the disability community, especially, of course, when its directly being used as a slur. Spaced 16 or 24 inches on center, they carry the regular . We can but dream.. "Selected use" means we don't use it all the time, in every situation. I dont let it stop me, though, as I know theres more to life than that! (also, well be back soon and with a post about where weve been. Gary Nunns Power grab: reclaiming words can be such a bitch talks about why reclaiming words is a worthwhile venture in the first place and lists quite a few examples of society having done so. While disabilities may last forever, an injury can pass. The slur cripple is discussed at length in Joseph Shapiros chapter titled Tiny Tims, Supercrips, and the End of Pity from his book, No Pity: People With Disabilities Forging a New Civil Rights Movement. Shapiros text is over two decades old, however, which is why a more modern take on language usage in conjunction with disabilityamong other marginalized communitieswas something I sought as a touchstone for todays views on slurs. For more information, please see our Share. However, many of the people who call themselves so OCD are describing traits that are not intense enough to be clinically diagnosed as obsessive-compulsive disorder. "Time to Disable DALYs? You may think cripple sounds like a neutral term, but its now an outdated, offensive way to refer to someone who struggles with movement. It is a battleground, in my opinion, as there is a constant war for both disabled and non-disabled people when it comes to how to address a disabled person. original sound. About UsWe are on a mission to help you become better at English. The definition of damaged, according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is harmed.. One of these reasons is ignorance, in that its not known when a word has been reclaimed; there is no ad taken out in newspapers or worldwide cell phone alert that notifies the whole disabled community that certain words are undergoing a rebrand. Some people consider it best to use person-first language, for example "a person with a disability" rather than "a disabled person. In the 1940s, lame became even more derogatory as it rose in popularity as a way to describe socially awkward people. You may think cripple sounds like a neutral term, but its now an outdated, offensive way to refer to someone who struggles with movement. Additionally, the second definition in the verb section is particularly problematic because it equates cripple with a lack of wholeness.. It works whenever we want to show that someone has got gradually worse. Unfortunately, its a conscious and constant effort to defy the previously prevalent definitions of words like cripple, bitch, or queer. The way bitch and queer have been reclaimed is that they have been built into our societys vernacular and thus there doesnt have to be much, if any, explanation as to why you just referred to your best friend as one of your bitches. As humans, we tend to take the path of least resistance when discussing difficult topics such as gender, race, sexuality, disability, and more, due in part to our discomfort with not being experts or having first-hand knowledge of these subjects. Sometimes, our bodies fail us. By the 1970s, the word generally came to be regarded as pejorative when used for people with disabilities. By the 1960s, though, spastic had devolved into the word spaz and quickly became synonymous with thoughtless, out-of-control, ridiculous behavior. The issue with cripple becomes painfully obvious once you place its original definition next to the ones that we, as a society, have crafted above. Logo - Anna Victoria Art, Shes been incapacitated because of that stupid accident! Hi, so just in general conversation with someone who is physically disabled they felt really hurt by someone using the word "crippled". Language is fascinating. The word midget is derived from the word midge, which refers to small, annoying insects. Kelly is passionate about sharing her experiences with others through writing and is the also the Senior Editor for Unwritten, an online magazine dedicated to millennial life. I guarantee that you use ableist language every single day without even realizing it. Both Nunn and Shapiro understand the concept of reclaiming language as a possible few inches gained on the battleground of progress. This time, it mostly refers to people who get gradually worse over time. The difference between the two matters autistic is perfectly fine as a clinical term or a self-identifier, but its not a word for neurotypical people to use to mock or deride others. Reclaiming words is important to some and less so to others within a marginalized community, so I suppose it is both a venture that is effective in shifting the power back to those that have very little say and also a deeply personal and optional decision to make as an individual. But yes, it is definitely a slur, and as an able bodied person I can't say it. Again, this refers mostly to people who have disabilities for life, though its possible for certain injuries to immobilize someone as well. We can use disabled as a blanket term to refer to all kinds of disabilities. Tell us what you think in the comments below. The word crippling is also used as an adjective. This is counterintuitive to the idea that reclaiming words allows a marginalized group to possess militant self-pride through the use of language. It's best to just describe what they do, like "She uses a wheelchair" or "He walks with a cane" tasty-snake 2 yr. ago But at it's core it is a word to describe somebody who has become limited physically. . Id argue no, as it seems to only allow the marginalized to be synonymous with one aspect of their identity, in a harmful and monolithic way. Watch the video: Only 1 percent of our visitors get these 3 grammar questions right Welt or Welp: Which Spelling Is Correct? Im disabled. At its core, it is oppressive, derogatory, and hurtful, no matter the intention behind its usage. Hurt is the most basic term on this list. We exercise judgment in when and where it's appropriate to use. Lets leave the word insane in the courtroom and stop using it to disparage people who struggle with their mental health. The word "handicapped" is supposed to be the most formal name for a disabled person, and the most respectful. Since the 1980s . [5][7] The cripple tribunal in Dortmund on 13 December 1981 was one of the main protest actions of the autonomous German disability movement (in confrontation with the established disability assistance) against human rights abuses in nursing homes and psychiatric hospitals, as well as against deficiencies of local public transport.