How do you feel about language as it is applied to you?Â
For Hannah, language is particular to the individual. Having tried seeking medical help for years, when she finally received the diagnosis at age 15, she was very embarrassed, and because she didnât want to stand out, she didnât want to talk about it and didnât prefer any language. Over time things have changed, and in particular hearing other people and how they talked about their own disabilities has helped her come to terms with her own disability. She now prefers to say she has a disability, not that she is a disabled person, but she is aware it is very personal, and peopleâs preferences can change over time.Â
Ryan agreed that disability is personal to each individual and so language must be too. Traditionally where people spoke of disability they envisioned a wheelchair or a cane but over time he realised that any condition that can be debilitating could be considered a disability by that person. In terms of language he feels âdisabilityâ does have negative connotations as the prefix âdisâ is negative, as in disinclined, or disinterested. However, other terms such as impairment or condition could also be problematic for some people. The term âblindâ suggests to most people that he has no sight, but in fact it is more a scale where beyond a certain point he is classed as âregistered blindâ but still has some sight. Language is constantly evolving too. Rather than blind or visually impaired, young people receiving a diagnosis today may prefer âfully sight impaired.â
For Ryan, having a diagnosis resulted in people treating him differently. He was no longer âRyan who plays football in the streetâ, but âRyan with a disabilityâ. Once that label was applied to him, teachers made him sit at the front of the class, not at the back with his mates, and when he visited friends’ houses, their parents took precautions that they wouldnât take when others visited. He still notices this shift in peopleâs reactions when they realise he has a disability – he will walk down the street in the day and just be Ryan, but when he enters a bar he will use a white stick as it is dark, and he sees people’s reactions change. Because of this he struggles with the fact he is disabled and feels there are negative connotations with that word. He prefers âvisually impairedâ to âblind’.Â
It is important to recognise the changeable nature of disabilities. They may not be immediately apparent, and they may vary from day to day and in different environments. However, someone may present at any time, they are still the same person with the same condition. With the changeable nature of disabilities, and language evolving, it is best not to make assumptions, but if you need information Hannah and Ryan suggested some ways to approach conversations.Â
How should people approach those conversations?
- Remember not all people with disabilities know everything about every disability, and they may not know everything about their own condition. They can only speak for themselves and their experience.Â
- Itâs OK to be unsure because every individual is different and their attitude can change over time or depending on circumstances.Â
- Enter conversations with a tone of curiosity and consideration. You may need to know what accommodations would help someone in a meeting, and it is best to ask if someone would like help rather than assuming they need it.
- It is important to âRead the roomâ and be sensitive to what else is going on; any of us may be having a bad day, or be busy, or have some personal upset to deal with and not feel up to answering questions, or only up to answering the bare necessities. As good allies to any group we should not push past any individualâs comfort zone.Â
Hannah gave an example of an approach she recently took:Â
âIâm really sorry, I donât know much about your condition. Iâd be very grateful if you feel comfortable to help educate me. I need to learn a lot and I donât want to say or do anything that would upset you without realising. If you do feel comfortable, I would appreciate hearing how it affects you on a day to day basis, any assistance you need, and anything I can do to support you.â
If someone has caused offence, how can they respond?Â
Once again both Hannah and Ryan emphasised that peopleâs response can be driven by a variety of factors. They may be experiencing a flare up of symptoms, they may be struggling mentally or emotionally, or be in a different stage of acceptance and respond more negatively to an attempt to help or start a conversation. However, this can be true of anyone, and is not restricted to disability. Essentially, we all need to be more kind and compassionate all the time.Â
Is there anything we can do as individuals or as society to tackle the stigma around the term disabled?Â
It is so important to have these conversations. Whilst we cannot break the stigma overnight, each conversation helps. The more we talk, the more people will feel comfortable having these conversations.Â
Representation is also really important as with gender, sexuality and race. We need to raise awareness that there are people with disabilities out there. Paralympians are great, but where are the disabled lawyers, actors, politicians, police officers and judges? An estimated 24% of the UK population have a disability and yet only 5 out of the 650 MPs are openly disabled. Whilst representation has moved on a lot, there is still a long way to go.Â
The links kindly shared during the webinar by Chris Seel (Diversity and Inclusion Adviser at the Law Society) were:
Chris also pointed out that anyone can join the Law Societyâs Disabled Solicitors Network; you donât have to identify as disabled or be a solicitor.
Finally, if you would like to see the whole webinar, a recording is available here.Â