top of page

Disabled- Why I Am Proud Of That Term

Writer's picture: Annie KrollAnnie Kroll
Cartoon with one person with an invisible disability, one person in a wheelchair and one person with a cane with shapes behind them

I am very lucky to have friends and family in my life now who want to be respectful to me and my journey navigating disabilities. One issue I have had is correcting terms people use to try to describe me. Most of the time, it is innocent, but I have faced discrimination outside of my chosen circle. This blog, I wanted to explain why I like the term disabled, and share some of the reasons I do not like other terms. Please note, that while saying someone is disabled or has a disability is, in my experience, the most common phrasing, different people will have different preferences. If you are unsure how to refer to someone with a disability, there is no harm in asking their preference when relevant.


 

I prefer to use the term disabled, because I do not have any shame about my identity. I was diagnosed with autism at 18 months old. I have never known another reality, and having autism impacts almost everything I do. I avoid certain foods, am picky about certain clothing textures, and navigate social situations differently because of my autism. My autism goes everywhere I go, so I say I am an autistic person. While in middle school I had a lot of shame about my autism, I have learned to embrace it and accept where I am at. In 2016, I found out I had hereditary spastic paraplegia. Through this experience, I really processed what it meant to be disabled. I had days where I could barely walk, and other days where I was abnormally exhausted. My pain was validated, and my experiences navigating physical environments made much more sense. Having a physical disability is what really started my passion for disability advocacy, and is what helped me recognize that autism is also a disability that I did not need to distance myself from. Going through those experiences made me proud to be disabled because I felt that I had grown as a person and had inherent value as a human. I do not view being disabled as being less than, but instead view it as needing accommodations society does not inherently provide. To me, the term disabled describes my reality of not having the abilities society is designed for, without knocking my individual experience. Next, I will list some other terms people use instead of disabled, and explain why I personally do not like or use them.


 

1. Retarded

This is an offensive word. Please do not use this word. The history of retarded is to make fun of and insult people with a cognitive, mental, and/or physical disability as being less than or stupid. While retarded was once a medical term, it has turned into an insult. This word is outdated, and efforts have been made to update terminology to remove it.


2. Handicapped

Originally, the term handicapped came from the term hand in cap, from the 1600's to refer to a sports betting game (Rocky Mountain ADA Center, n.d.). The sports history of the word led to an association that disabilities need to be overcome, which highlights the medical model of disability (please see my blog post about the social model vs the medical model of disability). Modern disability activist movements advocate for disabilities to be seen as existing, not as something that is inherently bad.


3. Specially abled/Differently abled

I do not like this term because it implies that disability needs to be reframed as something more positive. I do not have any special abilities, but my brain and legs work slightly differently. While I am proud of my identity, I also do not want to artificially inflate my experiences because I think it negates some of the hardships that come with being disabled.


4. Special Needs

I heard this term a lot in school, and it had a negative connotation as not being able to keep up with kids who did not have a cognitive disability. Similar to the list above, my needs are not special. I do not feel empowered with this term, and hope that it will continue to fade away.


5. Crippled

Crippled means to be severely deformed or malfunctioning. I don't know about you, but regardless of my appearance I do not want to be described as malfunctioning or deformed. Disabled is much more vague, and does not have the same negative connotation that crippled does.


 

I hope this list was helpful to explain why I, and some other disabled people prefer the term disabled over other terms to refer to disability. I want to take the time to clarify that while disability does technically mean not able, the ability is largely placed on current societal access rather than personal worth. Thank you for reading about the term disabled and other less appreciated alternatives. If you have any questions or comments, send me a message at @Anniekrollblog on Instagram or Facebook. I hope to see you next week!

0 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page