Thread by @DisInHigherEd

The disability community has many common terms/words that may not mean anything to newly disabled folx or allies. We've put together a list of some of these terms/equipment that people may regularly use! Disabled folx, let us know if we're missing any! #DEHEM #Disability101

1. Disability
There are many definitions for disability.
One of the most used is the CDC definition which has three dimensions to it:
1. Impairment
2. Activity limitation
3. Participation restrictions
This criterion is very broad/vague but this makes it slightly more inclusive.

However, this definition does not truly represent the dynamic nature of disability. Two people with the same type of disability can be affected in very different ways.

There is no one size fits all solution to anything got to do with disability.

There can be "categories" of disability to "define" different types but different countries can categorise these differently and people can also be multiply disabled so we are going to leave the definition of disability at that and not try to categorise or box people in.

2. Accessibility
A concept that focuses on enabling access for people with disabilities to anything and everything. Can be from the design conception or by using accommodations.

Not to be confused with Universal Design.

3 Universal Design (UD)
Concept that focuses on making things accessible to anyone regardless of disability, age, etc. from conception of design. This is vague but can be applied to anything. UD reduces (but doesn't eliminate) the need for personal accommodations.

4. Personal Accommodations
Can also be called accommodations but including personal is necessary to emphasise disability as dynamic & that they should be assessed on a case by case basis and re-assess regularly as needs can change.

Personal Accommodations can take many forms, the most commonly talked about being assistive technology/aids, but can also be modified tasks/structure.

They can vary depending on if you are in a classroom-based or lab-based. There should be policies for disabled faculty & staff.

5. Ableism
The discrimination/social prejudice against people with disabilities/disabled people. It characterizes disabled people as fundamentally inferior to non-disabled/abled people. Look at #AbleismTellsMe (started by @kaylejh) to see the effects of societal ableism.

6. Academic Ableism
Ableism is rampant in academia. If you want to learn more, we recommend Jay Dolmage’s book “Academic Ableism” which is open-access: press.umich.edu/9708836/academ…
& the brand new book by @AbleismAcademia which is available w/ open access from today! #AcademicAbleism

(Part of 5/6?)We also want to add a tweet about ableism & accommodations.

Personal Accommodations are not 'special treatment' or an advantage. In fact, they (attempt to) REMOVE the advantage abled people have!

If you think they're an advantage, that's ableism. #AcademicAbleism

7. Intersectionality
This may not necessarily be a 'disability term' but should be.
Intersectionality is the interconnect & overlapping nature of social identities such as race, class, gender, sexual orientation, class, disability, & age.

These interconnected identities overlap to create unique modes of discrimination & privilege.
Disability is highly intersectional as disabled individuals exist in every other identity space & part of every other kind of social justice. You cannot separate it from other movements

Moving on to disability language.
8. Person-first language
Person-first language places the person before the disability (e.g.) person with a disability, doctors with disabilities.

9. Identity-first language
Identity first language recognizes the disabled identity as part of the person (e.g.) disabled person, disabled doctor, autistic person.

Person-first or Identity-first language

Personal preference, neither are wrong.
If you are unsure ask or listen to how the person describes themself. Some people (incl. some of our team) alternate between them.
Certain communities within disability prefer one over the other

Just an FYI, our organizing team prefers identity-first language.
Which is why this is Disabled Empowerment in Higher Ed Month and why we used #DisabledRollCall.
However, we completely respect people's use of person-first language. #DEHEM

10 Disability Euphemisms
There are many including challenged, handicapable, differently-abled, & special needs. These euphemisms are highly debated, but many disabled individuals (incl our team) reject their use. If abled don't use unless the person uses them to describe themself

The main point of disability euphemisms, person-first & identity-first language is that the disabled person/person with a disability has the RIGHT to choose how they want to define themselves.

Abled people shouldn't correct language usage or get offended if asked not to use any.

This blog post from @emily_ladau, a disability advocate, describes some disability euphemisms and why they could be harmful to disabled individuals: cdrnys.org/blog/disabilit…

11. Ableist Language
Slurs & offensive language/phrases. Some are already taboo but others are still commonplace. We recommend these two sources of ableist language/terms (source 2 by @autistichoya).
CW slurs & offensive language tinyurl.com/AbleistLanguag… tinyurl.com/AbleistLanguag…

We want to include some terms that were included in the disabled roll call but some of these have debated definitions so we want to say that these are our understanding of these terms but we also want to keep them broad because we do not want to categorise disability.

12. Chronic Illness
A wide array of long-term health conditions that require on-going medical attention, impact daily living, & often do not have a cure. Examples include Diabetes, Cancer, Autoimmune Disorders, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) & HIV, among so many others.

13 Neurodiversity/Neruodiverse/Neurodivergent
Concept that neurological differences are to be recognized & respected (natural variation).

Includes Autism, ADHD, Dyspraxia, Speech disorders, Learning Disabilities, Tourette Syndrome, & many more incl. mental health disabilities.

14. Hearing Impaired
Umbrella terms to describe people with any degree of hearing loss, from mild to profound. This includes those who are deaf and those who are hard of hearing/hearing impaired.

15. Hard of hearing (HOH)
Refers to a hearing loss where there may be enough residual hearing that an auditory device such as a hearing aid can be used to help process sound.

16. D/deaf
Some in the D/deaf community want deaf to be spelt with a lowercase d and some want Deaf to be spelt with a capital D. Ask people's preferences.