As some of you may have noticed, our last blog was originally titled “Big Changes for SCI Victims.” You guys probably also noticed that I used the term ‘victims.’ Boy, what a careless mistake that was.
First, I want to apologize to anyone I may have offended. I have to admit, I didn’t even realize I had used the offensive term until one of our followers brought it to my attention. When you hear the term used to describe you so often, it embeds itself in your mind and slips out at the most unfortunate time. And this is why we need to educate people as to why we should abolish the word from our vocabulary!
If one of our followers hadn’t pointed out my error, I probably would have gone on thinking that I had done nothing wrong. For that reason alone, I am thankful that someone took the time to inform me.
In response, I decided to learn more about the issue. I found a really helpful article titled “A Few Words About People First Language” by Kathie Snow. I have to say, this article opened my eyes to a different aspect of catastrophic injuries.
Every day, we fight to be defined by who we are rather than let an injury define us. Unfortunately, the wrong choice of words, innocently used or not, can reinforce stereotypes. We should never let a preconceived idea influence us when judging one’s character.
In short, don’t judge a book by its cover. As cliché as this old saying may sound, it is the basis for any progress society makes when it comes to fighting prejudice. And, those with disabilities are no exception to this.
Lesson of the day….choose my words wisely.
First, I want to apologize to anyone I may have offended. I have to admit, I didn’t even realize I had used the offensive term until one of our followers brought it to my attention. When you hear the term used to describe you so often, it embeds itself in your mind and slips out at the most unfortunate time. And this is why we need to educate people as to why we should abolish the word from our vocabulary!
If one of our followers hadn’t pointed out my error, I probably would have gone on thinking that I had done nothing wrong. For that reason alone, I am thankful that someone took the time to inform me.
In response, I decided to learn more about the issue. I found a really helpful article titled “A Few Words About People First Language” by Kathie Snow. I have to say, this article opened my eyes to a different aspect of catastrophic injuries.
Every day, we fight to be defined by who we are rather than let an injury define us. Unfortunately, the wrong choice of words, innocently used or not, can reinforce stereotypes. We should never let a preconceived idea influence us when judging one’s character.
In short, don’t judge a book by its cover. As cliché as this old saying may sound, it is the basis for any progress society makes when it comes to fighting prejudice. And, those with disabilities are no exception to this.
Lesson of the day….choose my words wisely.
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