Politically Correct Travel Terms
The right way to describe a person with special needs
© Jill Browne
Dec 11, 2006
Barriers to access give rise to special needs for travellers and perhaps create confusion and embarrassment over labels. Are "blind", "handicapped", etc. OK to use?
What a minefield this is!
Is it OK to call a person who can't see "blind"? What about someone who is using a wheelchair? A cane? And how about the 50-year-old who lived the first 30 years of his life in an institution for the mentally retarded, and now (though he hasn't moved) is in a special needs facility?
Most of us want to be kind and considerate to others, and not to insult other people through being clumsy with our words. But it can be so difficult, particularly if you are dealing with strangers. Whether you are the person with the issue or not, the communication about any special needs should be as matter of fact as asking for a cup of coffee.
A few thoughts on correct terminology
- "blind" and "visually impaired" are used side by side by the CNIB - Canadian National Institute for the Blind. They don't mean the same thing, but each has its place;
- an article from Bermuda, "Bermuda's accessibility and services for handicapped and disabled" defines "disabled" as "being physically or mentally handicapped". The writer, Keith Archibald Forbes, is stated to be an international advocate for the disabled;
- "Not Retarded: One part of the community expresses language hurts" by Steve Hoad on the website for Ability Maine talks about how the word "retarded" is now loaded with hurtful meaning and doesn't just describe a person's developmental status in a neutral way.
That last article hits the nail on the head. The right words are the ones which are still being used as neutral, descriptive words. This varies from place to place. A good place to search for information in your area would be the national and local agencies and organizations which advocate on behalf of whatever group or condition you are interested in.
The Ability Maine article includes this link: "Guidelines for Reporting and Writing About People With Disabilities". While it's intended for journalists, the information is very useful for anyone.
While not everyone has a permanent disability, almost all of us face access issues at some points in our lives. Let's just be straightforward about it and get on with enjoying travel.
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Comments
Dec 11, 2006 7:44 AM
Jill Browne
:
I wanted to put forward the question of labels and politically correct language right away.
In trying to remove barriers and make travel accessible, we need to be able to communicate freely without worrying about offending people through ill-chosen words - even when no offence is meant.
There are some differences within the English-speaking world about what words are "bad". I would love to hear from readers about what works well - and what doesn't - in their region.
The whole point of this article, and indeed of this topic, is to open the doors of communication.
Dec 14, 2006 9:39 AM
Jennifer W. Miner
:
Hi, Jill, and welcome to Suite! It's nice to have you here.
I really liked this article. In terms of the doors of communication that you mention, what are your personal recommendations for being sensitive to regional differences in the ways disabiities are recognized?
Dec 15, 2006 8:14 AM
Jill Browne
:
Thanks Jennifer, for that warm welcome and your great question.
For now I'm just going to answer the question from the perspective of labels. What label or description of a disability or other special need should we use when traveling?
There is a lot more to your question, and perhaps it's the topic for a future article ;-)
My number one recommendation is to start with an open mind and the expectation that each of us humans wants to do good, not harm. I'm not naive, but it makes a big difference when you expect positive things from people.
Then to get very specific, I suggest reading relevant literature from respected bodies in the places to which I plan to travel. If you don't have time to do this in advance, look in the phone book at your destination. What are the names of the leading organizations for the disability or condition you are interested in? That is a big clue to the language used in that region.
For example, if I were going to take my mother to Italy, I would look for a website for the Italian deaf community.
My mother may preferred not to be called "deaf" but I need to know what the Italians are most likely to describe her as, since she wears two hearing aids. Her hearing does limit her access to certain things, particularly station and airport announcements, and at times she or I would need to make sure she gets help.
I just went into the search engine www.dogpile.com and typed in "Italian deaf". The first result was a story http://www.mpdf.it/scholarships.htm about the Mason Perkins Deafness Fund, which sponsors Italian deaf students to study in Washington, D.C.
From this article, it's clear to me that the English word "deaf" is in common use within the deaf community in Italy and will probably be the safest label to apply to my mother there, even if she may not like it. Actually, I think Mom would be very thrilled to be in Italy and wouldn't mind what she was called, but it makes a good example ;-)
If I tried using the term "hearing impaired", in English, in Italy, I may not be as well understood as if I simply said, "deaf".
That is a simplistic example but I hope it makes the point. In real life I would always check several sources of information to make sure I was getting good quality.
Then, of course there are always two great golden rules:
1. Treat others the way you would like to be treated AND
2. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
As a traveler with any kind of special needs, it is importa
