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Article on Ableism in Language @autistichoya: "Ableism is not a list of bad words. Language is ONE tool of an oppressive system. Being aware of language, for those of us who have the privilege of being able to change our language can help us understand how pervasive ableism is."
https://www.autistichoya.com/p/ableist-words-and-terms-to-avoid.html "Note that some of the words are actually slurs but many of the words and phrases are not considered slurs -- They are simply considered ableist (the way that referring to a woman as emotionally fragile is sexist, but not a slur)"
"You're not automatically a bad person if you have used ableist language, but if you have the cognitive/language privilege to adjust your language, it's definitely worthwhile to consider becoming more aware of how everyday language helps perpetuate ableist ideas and values."
"Linguistic ableism is part of the total system of ableism, and it is critical to understand how it works, how it is deployed, and how we can unlearn our social conditioning that linguistic ableism is normal and just how things are or should be."
"As important as it is to recognize and uncover the violence of linguistic ableism (how ableism is specifically embedded into our language), it is also critical to understand why this is important."
Linguistic ableism:
a) is part of an entire system of ableism, and doesn't exist simply by itself,
b) signifies how deeply ableist our societies and cultures by how common and accepted ableism is in language,
a) is part of an entire system of ableism, and doesn't exist simply by itself,
b) signifies how deeply ableist our societies and cultures by how common and accepted ableism is in language,
c) reinforces and perpetuates ableist social norms that normalize violence and abuse against disabled people,
d) actively creates less safe spaces by re-traumatizing disabled people, and
e) uses ableism to perpetuate other forms of oppression.
d) actively creates less safe spaces by re-traumatizing disabled people, and
e) uses ableism to perpetuate other forms of oppression.
This isn't about policing language/censoring words, but about critically examining how language is part of ableist hegemony, accountability when we learn about linguistic ableism & recognizing that to varying extents, we have all participated in ablesupremacy & ablenormativity.
This is about understanding the connections between linguistic ableism and other forms of ableism, such as medical ableism, scientific ableism, legal ableism, and cultural ableism.
Language reflects and influences society and culture.
Language reflects and influences society and culture.
Language isn't important for silly semantic reasons, but because it cannot be separated from the culture in which it is deployed. Feminist theory, queer theory, and race theory have all analyzed how sexism, heterosexism, cissexism, binarism, and racism are embedded in language.
Using the language of disability (either directly or through metaphor) as a way to insult other people, dismiss other people, express your loathing for them/their viewpoints, or invalidate their viewpoints is extremely ableist (& often sanist, neurotypicalist, audist, or vidist)
For example, using the language of mental illness ("crazy," "insane," "psycho," or "wacko,"), cognitive disability ("retarded," "slow," or "moron,"), or physical disability ("crippled" or "completely blind/deaf,").
Using the language of disability to denigrate or insult in our conversations and organizing presumes that
a.) people who hold undesirable or harmful viewpoints must hold them because they are mentally ill/have psych disabilities/are mentally disabled/are disabled in some way,
a.) people who hold undesirable or harmful viewpoints must hold them because they are mentally ill/have psych disabilities/are mentally disabled/are disabled in some way,
b.) having mental illness/psych disability/mental disability/any disability is actually so undesirable and horrible that you can insult someone that way (the same underlying reason why socially embedded linguistic heterosexism lets people use "gay" as an insult),
c.) it's acceptable to use ableism against one disability group while decrying ableism against another disability group (creating horizontal or intra-disability oppression) or another form of oppression against another marginalized group (creating horizontal oppression), and
d.) and that no one who is disabled in any way might actually share your opinion or be on your side, thus actually actively excluding and marginalizing this part of our community, and making our spaces less safe and less inclusive.
For alternatives, try being more precise in your language. Say what you mean:
- These people have completely ridiculous ideas.
- That person's viewpoint is extremely harmful.
- That idea is extremist.
- Those people have disturbing and concerning opinions.
- These people have completely ridiculous ideas.
- That person's viewpoint is extremely harmful.
- That idea is extremist.
- Those people have disturbing and concerning opinions.
If you find yourself using this ableist language, please take a minute to re-examine how your perspective has been informed by ableism. We have all participated in ableist structures, and are all continually learning and unlearning.
But if you are truly committed to building more just and inclusive communities, then it is critical to unlearn how we have been conditioned into accepting ableism in all parts of our lives and societies, including in our language.
The terms that are listed below are part of an expanding English-language glossary of ableist words and terms. I have chosen to include words or phrases that I know of or that are brought to my attention that meet two criteria:
1) Their literal or historical definition derives from a description of disability, either in general or pertaining to a specific category of disability, and 2) They have been historically and or currently used to marginalize, other, and oppress disabled people.
One important note: Many people who identify with particular disabilities may use descriptors from this list in an act of reclaiming the language. BUT if you do not identify with a particular disability/disabled identity, it's probably not appropriate to use some of those terms.
Some words have oppressive histories & others do not. For e.g. the word "dumb" has a disability-specific history (referring to people who cannot speak, & often used to refer to Deaf people), whereas the word "obtuse" does not (meaning "beating something to make it blunt or dull")
Glossary of Ableist Language thanks to @autistichoya: A-H
Ableist Language from I- “Idiot” to S- “Stupid” and W- Wacko
Terms that are not inherently ableist but can become so in context:
I myself would like to add “Deranged” and “Unhinged” as the new twitter buzz words that are just another metaphor for mental illness and synonymous with “crazy/insane”.
I myself would like to add “Deranged” and “Unhinged” as the new twitter buzz words that are just another metaphor for mental illness and synonymous with “crazy/insane”.
A clarification thread by the author of the Ableism/Language document: https://twitter.com/autistichoya/status/984953252818145280
A master-list of tweets and resources by another of my favourite disability activists on ableist language/ https://twitter.com/ebthen/status/926855570774208513
Brain rot / Brain dead / Worms for brains -
All ableist language and ableism weaponised everyday in real life: https://twitter.com/wanderlusterers/status/1311334447413751814
All ableist language and ableism weaponised everyday in real life: https://twitter.com/wanderlusterers/status/1311334447413751814
My own rant about “seek psychological help” “you need help” “go to therapy” being used as ableist pejorative and harmfully weaponised against anyone ppl don’t like: https://twitter.com/wanderlusterers/status/1312171154816131072
From my favourite disbaled activist @miamingus https://twitter.com/wanderlusterers/status/1299662237636861952
How Ableism is deeply tied to white supremacist ideology aka Nazism: https://twitter.com/kivanbay/status/960567295817891841
How ableism is intrinsic to white patriarchal capitalism: https://twitter.com/kivanbay/status/958906668363874305
On the concept of Forced Intimacy and what disabled people navigate everyday in an ableist, capitalist world coined by @miamingus https://twitter.com/wanderlusterers/status/1305715669623664640
How can you be communist/activist and not include disability/ableism in your organising and analysis? we are literally the biggest group of marginalised people thread: https://twitter.com/wanderlusterers/status/1294979158917881856
how white supremacist imperialist cishetero ableist capitalist patriarchy create and pass down trauma/disability: https://twitter.com/wanderlusterers/status/1294983362109566976
