How Language Empowers and Inspires Identity
Previous to my internship here at Traipsin’ Global On Wheels, I had very little understanding of the finer points of the disability community. I had, up until that point, distanced myself from the community because I could pass as able-bodied with a heel lift and an avoidance of activities that would require the equal usage of both my sides. While that largely worked, I always felt like there was a sizable part of my identity that I was covering up or simply ignoring by not embracing my disability. In fact, the biggest reason I was excited to join Traipsin’ Global on Wheels through this internship was to learn more about the disability community and see things from a new perspective.
My biggest lesson so far? The power of written and spoken language to represent the disability community as they personally choose.
My first couple blog posts were filled with identity-first errors, calling people “a disabled person” or a “disabled individual”. As I wrote those posts, I saw nothing wrong with using that type of language. Why would I when for most of my life, identity-first language was what I encountered while browsing the internet or reading the news?
Upon getting feedback, I realized how wrong I was.
Person-first language was completely foreign to me. The first time I read the phrase, I thought it was a misspelling for something like first-person or third-person narratives that would typically be seen in conjunction with writing assignments in my high school English class.
I knew, being a writer, that words were important for spinning a narrative. I just had never thought of the power of language in regard to members of the disability community. I had no idea the sensitivity or empowerment that came along with using the correct terminology, no idea the difference between “a disabled individual” and “an individual with a disability” could make for people reading my blog post.
I knew that such consideration of language was an important part of seizing back identity in the LGBTQ+ community with a person being able to choose the gender pronouns they would prefer, so it only made sense that the same could be said for the disability community.
With that in mind, I would like to apologize.
Not for not knowing what person-first language meant in the first place, but for not taking the time to research and understand what person-first language meant to a person with a disability before writing my first blog post.
Identity and correct representation are so important to moving the agenda of the disabled community forward, and the movement will only cease when each person in this country and in this world decides to listen equally to the needs of everyone that surrounds them.
Person-first language is not just about writing the correct terminology, it is a historical movement that saw a traditionally marginalized sector of society seize back their identities in the face of being so drastically overlooked in policy, media, and society.
The least I can do, from this point forward, is accurately portray the identity that people choose while advocating amongst my community for the more widespread usage of person-first language in conjunction to the disability community.
Because, if I have learned anything in this internship, language is important.
Written by Ryan Trombly
Ryan Trombly was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when she was eighteen months old. The disability causes right-side hemiparesis that affects the entire right side of her body, weakening her muscles and limiting her mobility in everyday activities. Despite this, Ryan has strived to live a normal, independent life without any barriers and hopes to use her voice to advocate for the disabled community.
Looking for more insight on person-first language versus identity-first language?
Check out this journal article by Tara Haelle: https://healthjournalism.org/blog/2019/07/identity-first-vs-person-first-language-is-an-important-distinction/
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