Introduction to Disability
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Person First Language
 Describe the person, not the disability
 Refer to a person’s disability only when it is
relevant
 Avoid images designed to evoke pity or guilt.
 If in doubt, ask. People with disabilities will
be more than willing to help.
* From Active Living Alliance for Canadians with a Disability (1995). Words with
dignity. Gloucester, Ontario: Author.
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Words with Dignity
 Instead of …
 Use …

Disabled

Person with a disability

Invalid, lame

Person with a disability

Crippled, afflicted, suffer from

Person who has…; person
with...

Confined, bound, restricted, or
dependent on a wheelchair

Wheelchair user
Normal

Able bodied or non-disabled

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Words with Dignity (cont.)
 Victim, sufferer
 Person with a disability
 Cripple
 Person with a disability
 Deaf and dumb, deaf
mute
 Person with a hearing
impairment; deaf person
 Retarded, mentally
retarded
 Person with mental
retardation/intellectual
disability
 spastic
 Person with cerebral
palsy
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WHO Definition of a Disability (2000)
 Impairment: Any loss or abnormality of
psychology, physiological, or anatomical
structure or function.
 Disability (Activity): Any restriction or
lack of ability to perform an activity in
the manner or within the range
considered normal for a human being as
a result of an impairment.
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WHO Definition (cont.)
 Handicap (Participation): Nature and
extent of a person’s involvement in life
situations in relation to impairment,
activities, health conditions, and
contextual factors (e.g., participation in
community activities, obtaining a
driver’s license, getting a job, etc.)
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Reynell’s Developmental Model for
Psychological Reactions to a Disability
 What do individuals with disabilities feel
and want at different ages and life
stages?
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Preschool
Childhood
Early Adolescence
Late Adolescence/Young Adulthood
Adulthood
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Social Construct of Disability
 There are many social factors that can affect
whether or not individuals with disabilities are
included or excluded from participation in
various activities, which in turn can affect
development or self-esteem.
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Ambivalence
Stereotyping
Stigmatization
Prejudice and Discrimination
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Ambivalence
 Many people simply do not know what to
make of individuals with disabilities.
 They see differences, and differences make
them feel uncomfortable.
 Most people without disabilities are not
prejudiced against people w/ disabilities;
they just feel uncomfortable around
someone who is so different than
themselves.
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Stereotyping

Without direct contact, some persons without disabilities may
begin to form their own opinions about a person with a
disability. These opinions may be based on a global view of
disability. Unfortunately, one of the most prominent social
factors that affects an individual’s self-esteem is that many
people simply lump all people with disabilities into one
category (Sherrill, 1997). Rather than looking at each person’s
own unique characteristics, abilities, and disabilities, many
people simply focus on one prominent attribute - a person’s
disability (Asch, 1984). This stereotyping or generalization is
often an unfair characterization of the person with a disability.
Not all people in wheelchairs are alike, not all people with
mental retardation are alike, and not all people who are blind
are alike.
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Stigma

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Stigmatization is discriminatory or unfair treatment towards a
person or group of persons believed to be different (Crocker &
Major, 1989; Sherrill, 1997).
Stigma results when the focus is on one attribute of an
individual or group of individuals that is perceived to be
different, undesirable, a shortcoming, or a handicap.
For example, stigma may result if the owner of a bowling alley
doesn’t allow a group of adults with mental retardation to join
a local bowling league simply because they have mental
retardation.
Sherrill (1997) noted that three factors contribute to
stigmatization: (a) fear of the person who is different, (b)
associating differences with inferiority and/or danger, and (c)
belief that the person is not quite human and thus does not
require the same level of respect given to others.
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Prejudice

Prejudice (inaccurate beliefs or attitudes) and discrimination (acting on
these inaccurate beliefs or attitudes) can prevent individuals with
disabilities from participating in sports (Sherrill, 1997). For example, a
nine-year-old with cerebral palsy (he used a walker) was not allowed
to play in his community soccer program (discrimination) because the
commissioner of the league felt that he would be a danger to others
(prejudice). The courts determined that under the Americans with
Disabilities Act the league must make reasonable accommodations for
this child (Boyd, 1999). Similarly, the NCAA was forced to change its
policies (discrimination) towards athletes with learning disabilities. The
NCAA had not accepted high school coursework that was specifically
designed for students with learning disabilities, because the NCAA
thought those courses were not rigorous enough (prejudice)
(Department of Justice, 2000).
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