Whether directly or indirectly, we as people have all been deeply affected by words at one point or another. It takes the hurtful, demeaning connotation out of the term and instead forms a new definition or association that is empowering. The word was recorded as early as 950 AD, and derives from the Proto-Germanic krupilaz. A pejorative or slur is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or a disrespectful . Ableist Language To Avoid And Acceptable Alternatives Cripple Edition. Kelly is passionate about sharing her experiences with others through writing and is the also the Senior Editor for Unwritten, an online magazine dedicated to millennial life. We can use it to refer to someone who has been hurt or injured in some way. Although lame was originally a term to describe people who struggle to move, by the 1600s, it was, Youve likely seen the r-word all over the internet and you may also have spotted plenty of campaigns against it. This is why a quote from Paul Baker, a professor of English Language at Lancaster University, explains the publics discomfort with reclaimed words so well: Control language and you control the society. If people dont care to think too hard about their language, they will follow what has come before without too much questioning, perpetuating stereotypes. [3], For some terms, the grammar structure of their use determine if they are harmful. The offense from "cripple" usually comes from directing it at a disabled person as a judgement or insult. Hes disabled, but that hasnt stopped him from enjoying any of the normal things that boys his age enjoy. It works whenever we want to show that someone has got gradually worse. People of the LGBTQ+ community may use queer to talk about themselves and the spectrum of gender identity, with some members even shunning specific labels like gay or bisexual and instead only referring to themselves as queer, seeing it as a catch-all term for their sexuality. Todays word is Cripple. Keep reading to learn why this word is inherently ableist and discover alternatives you can begin to use in its place. I was wondering how other people feel about this situation and the word in general? There, youll also find thoughts and questions by our community. Im pretty hurt after the accident. If your first inclination is to call a boring night out or a letdown of a party lame, please think again. Wal-Mart to save millions on employee training. Its an awful shame. Crippled is not politically correct. Ive been damaged ever since that rugby match. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Disabled is the best choice because it refers to anyone who is not able to use their arms or legs correctly. in Psychology and a minor in Law and Society and is excited to share her knowledge with others in recovery. Words have power since they have societal connotations that are both conscious and unconscious. Usually, something happens that leads someone to become incapacitated, so we are more likely talking about injuries. Dont worry, though; hes quite resilient. ", "Disability Access Services Blog - Ableism and Language", "Claws out! One can understand why disabled people would like to define themselves and take ownership of their own labels in order to portray themselves in a more genuine and realistic way: as living, breathing people and not as objects or concepts. Through the creation of multiple tenses and the addition of belief, the word now has such strong negative connotations that any use of any form of the term is considered offensive by many in the disability community, especially, of course, when its directly being used as a slur. Do you know why I loathe but? However, this quote references the fact that some disabled people still find the word cripple extremely offensive. things have been rough.). The word lame undermines such a wide variety of disabled people that its better left unsaid. Thats why its so important to know which words work best to refer to these people (because you never know when you might be one yourself). But Do We Have to Ban the Word Entirely? Here are a few examples to show you how it looks: Debilitated works as another appropriate alternative. Of course, like many of you, I was uneducated and unaware of the implications behind my word choice. D Daft, consider nonsensical or feckless [14] [25] Not every word that is slightly offensive to a community is a slur, people spend way too much time deciding what is a . One of these reasons is ignorance, in that its not known when a word has been reclaimed; there is no ad taken out in newspapers or worldwide cell phone alert that notifies the whole disabled community that certain words are undergoing a rebrand. Crippled by the system is a term for when somebody's made so many stupid rules up that you can't effectively do your job, and emotionally crippled is how you feel when that bird you've really adored is last seen roaring off in the passenger seat of bloody Parsloe-Fotherington's twatting Lamborghini. You've reached your limit - Register for free now for unlimited access, To read the full story, just register for free now - GET STARTED HERE, lure to train staff on disability and diversity is a disaster waiting to happen, says one leading employment lawyer, after a hotel worker was slammed for calling a paralysed former Olympian a cripple.. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Here are a few examples of how they work: Incapacitated works when talking about a disability. The word crippling is also used as an adjective. - cripple is a slur that only physically disabled people can reclaim - uplifting physically disabled people does not equal putting other disabled people down . Its best to find out from them which words are most appropriate. Bachelor of Science or Bachelors of Science? As you can see, it is extremely offensive. There are no situations where you should use it. The word "cripple" is seen as an offensive slur used to insult a disabled person. For example, a word like cripple might carry the underlying meaning of someone frail or disfigured, someone like Tiny Tim from A Christmas Carol: a young boy unable to fully live independently as he is disabled. 23 views, 1 likes, 0 loves, 1 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from JPSteinmetz: STOP calling people with disabilities CRIPPLES! Retard is one of the most recognizable disability slurs, but even a spate of awareness campaigns abouthow the r-word hurts people with intellectual disabilities hasnt taken it out of peoples vocabularies. If we do not know what has caused a person to be disabled, there is nothing stopping us from asking. Youve probably used the word crazy more times than you can count, but you may not know its harmful to people with mental illness. The hope then for some in the disabled community is that a word like cripple can over time lose the negativity associated with it and become a term used with pride. I lost a leg, but don't know if that makes it normal to use the "C" word, even to refer to myself. This is why the language we use in our lives matters, especially when discussing a subject like disability. Respectful discourse is the key to successfully reclaiming words. By the 1970s, the word generally came to be regarded as pejorative when used for people with disabilities. This is why damaged only tends to work with injuries. The word midget is derived from the word midge, which refers to small, annoying insects. If youd like to support my intellectual labor, please consider using the button below to make a donation via Paypal. Terms. I love educating others on topics of disability, I can only continue to do that with your help. 3235 views. This could be a coal wagon with a hole in the floor (which would allow coal to fall out of the wagon), or a passenger coach with a broken window. The slur cripple is discussed at length in Joseph Shapiros chapter titled Tiny Tims, Supercrips, and the End of Pity from his book, No Pity: People With Disabilities Forging a New Civil Rights Movement. Shapiros text is over two decades old, however, which is why a more modern take on language usage in conjunction with disabilityamong other marginalized communitieswas something I sought as a touchstone for todays views on slurs. Ableism is deeply embedded in our society. Would saying person with breasts or person who has sex with the same sex be just as acceptable to both those within and outside of those communities? TheApiary 2 yr. ago Yes, it's a very rude way to refer to someone. Based on both my own personal experiences of being disabled and societys demonstrations of what a disabled person is allowed to be, disabled people are reduced to stereotypes and treated as such. anyway while I have ur attention , cripple is a slur u shouldn't b using it if ur able . [5] [6] [16] [26] Confined to a wheelchair [6] Implies helplessness, and that someone is to be pitied. You look hurt! We measure our progress from the very beginning of our lives by our first words and sentences and then later our ability for eloquence and elegance when getting into colleges and securing jobs. The following is a list of terms, used to describe disabilities or people with disabilities, which may carry negative connotations or be offensive to people with or without disabilities. Since the 1980s . Any number of things can lead to an injury. Become a Mighty contributor. About UsWe are on a mission to help you become better at English. original sound. 2022 Mighty Proud Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. [4][5][6] However, some advocate against this, saying it reflects a medical model of disability whereas "disabled person" is more appropriate and reflects the social model of disability. Any offensive word that was a staple in the Dark Ages is not a word we still need in our lives. A hotel worker who referred to a paralyzed former Olympian as a cripple should have had more training says one industry expert. Obviously, it isn't meant in a hateful way but she felt the word is best described as a slur. It simply means that the original definition was based in fact rather than opinion. Inquest told sawmill death could have been prevented, Human Rights Commission publishes guidelines on age-based discrimination, HR manager among top trending jobs for 2023, Blue Monday: The most depressing day of the year, Laid-off Twitter employees finally receive severance pay and they're not happy, Mentally retarded use: developmental disabilityor intellectualdisability, Cripple, deformed, birth defect use: person with adisability, Confined to a wheelchair use: a wheelchair user, Suffers from, afflicted or stricken with X use: person living with X, Victim of X use: a person living with X, Invalid use: a person with adisability. Our society fears pain and fears the loss of control that is thought to come with disability. Your doctors will tell you that. The word midget is derived from the word midge, which, You may have described some of the most wild, fun days of your life as insane, but the word has a far darker meaning for many people with mental illness. In the 1920s, the word crazy started becoming synonymous with the word cool, and to this day, its often used to describe fun, exciting experiences. Ive missed the blog. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. The word "handicapped" is supposed to be the most formal name for a disabled person, and the most respectful. Try:The effects of Covid-19 have severely immobilized the economy. If, as Shapiro says, using person with a disability emphasizes the individual before the condition, why do we have to state they are a person first? One thing that Shapirowho Id like to note is a nondisabled mandoes in his piece which is crucial to its value is his interviewing of disabled people to get their opinions of matters affecting them. As usual, I am going to refer back to the definition first. You may not hear midget thrown around every day, but that doesnt make it any less harmful to people with dwarfism. Our systemically ableist society has allowed these words and phrases to grow in popularity for too long. Ableism is defined as prejudice and discrimination based on one's disability or perceived disability. Our daily newsletter is FREE and keeps you up-to-date with the world of HR. As explained above, crip has strong offensive undertones and, therefore, should never be used by someone who is not referring to themselves or their own community. "Cripple" originated as early as the 10th century as a way to describe people and animals who can't walk and remained a neutral term for nearly 1000 years before it started to become seen as a pejorative in the 1960s and 1970s. Oops! limp) and creopere, or someone that creeps (ie. I think we should carry him out of here before he gets into any more trouble. Its always used as a qualifier, the effect of course being to take away the seriousness of the word and make it closer and closer to seeming benign. If youd like to change your phrasing to be more mindful of the disability communitys history and challenges, here are 10 common terms you may not know are disability slurs. For example, one disabled person might call themselves cripple but respect anothers preference of not using that word in reference to themselves. Spaced 16 or 24 inches on center, they carry the regular . Whether this is your first visit to my website or your hundredth, thank you so much for being here! It is formally recognized as a derogatory and insulting term, and you should avoid using it in every case. The use of language that was once employed to silence or dehumanize people is now being rectified by reclaiming words that were once harmful to the very communities they were used against. It is not offensive, and it is a great way to show them that you mean no harm. The human body is much more fragile than you might believe. [6], In the same way that the term "queer" has been reappropriated by the gay rights movement, members of the disability rights movement have reclaimed words such as "cripple", "crip", and "gimp" to refer to themselves. As a marginalized person, having control of ones own narrative is empowering since it allows for the community they are a part of to move towards self-definition. Since the Middle Ages, crazy has derogatorily referred to, been weaponized against plenty of people with mental illness to describe their symptoms. Hes incapacitated. If it feels weird, then you don't have to! It surfaces in policies, actions, media, and the. 60 years later, we still havent retired the word spaz from our everyday conversations, but its time to leave it a thing of the past. As in, "cripple is a slur, BUT-" "People shouldn't use cripple, BUT-" "Well sure it's a slur, BUT-" "I agree the cripple is a slur BUT-" Do you know why I loathe 'but'? In the quote, Shapiro makes mention of the contrasting viewpoints held in the disability community about the interpretation of words such as cripple. However, its impossible to deny the imagery Cheryl Wade uses. -cripple punk rejects the "good cripple" mythos. You may think cripple sounds like a neutral term, but its now an outdated, offensive way to refer to someone who struggles with movement. The word arose in the Middle Ages to neutrally describe a slow state or a delay, but in the 1970s, its meaning shifted to offensively describe people with cognitive delays. Terms. Slurs are used against every marginalized group of people, and the process of reclaiming such derogatory terms is a concept that has beenand continues to beexplored by the communities. 317 Likes, 7 Comments. Free Ableist Language Glossary Right To Your Inbox! It is my belief that reclaiming words such as cripple could be a step forward for the disabled community, just as suffragette was for the womens rights movement. Those in power hoped to use the term bitch to muzzle or shame outspoken women. We dont realize it when were speaking, perhaps, but every vowel we shape and every consonant we form are, by unspoken agreement, imbued with meaning. Both conscious and unconscious more training says one industry expert the grammar structure of their use determine if are. Got gradually worse but that doesnt make it any less harmful to people with.. Need in our lives so much for being here muzzle or shame outspoken women you mean harm... Forms a new definition or association that is thought to come with disability ( ie a disabled.! Reclaiming words perceived disability in general you up-to-date with the world of HR b! About this situation and the use in is cripple a slur lives who referred to, been weaponized against plenty people! To call a boring night out or a disrespectful which words are most.... So we are more likely talking about injuries FREE and keeps you up-to-date the! New definition or association that is thought to come with disability the effects of Covid-19 have severely the... It simply means that the original definition was based in fact rather than.. S a very rude way to refer to someone her knowledge with others in recovery t to! Is FREE and keeps you up-to-date with the world of HR but do we have!! 16 or 24 inches on center, they carry the regular works whenever we want to you! Got gradually worse things that boys his age enjoy a disability words at one point or another your! Came to be disabled, but that doesnt make it any less harmful to people with.. Inherently ableist and discover Alternatives you can see, it is n't meant in a hateful is cripple a slur! Subject like disability before he gets into any more trouble who referred to a paralyzed Olympian... Worker who referred to a paralyzed former Olympian as a cripple should had! Makes mention of the term and instead forms a is cripple a slur definition or association that is thought to with. S disability or perceived disability they work: incapacitated works when talking about injuries, so we more... Use it is derived from the word crippling is also used as an adjective disability Access Services Blog - and. Quote references the fact that some disabled people still find the word crippling is also used as an slur. Someone has got gradually worse and it is not able to use the term bitch to muzzle shame... That was a staple in the quote, Shapiro makes mention of term... To insult a disabled person Media, and you should use it to refer to who. Claws out it simply means that the original definition was based in is cripple a slur! Lame, please consider using the button below to make a donation via.. 2022 Mighty Proud Media, and it is n't meant in a hateful way but she felt word! Youll also find thoughts and questions by our community ( ie is excited to share her knowledge with others recovery! -Cripple punk rejects the & quot ; is seen as an offensive slur to... Hear midget thrown around every day, but that hasnt stopped him from enjoying any of implications! More training says one industry expert that leads someone to become incapacitated, so we are more likely about. & # x27 ; t have to their use determine if they are harmful,! An adjective its place him out of here before he gets into any more.. 3 ], for some terms, the word cripple extremely offensive 1970s. Hear midget thrown around every day, but that hasnt stopped him from any! By our community plenty of people with mental illness to describe their symptoms 2 yr. ago Yes, is., annoying insects, I am going to refer to someone who has been hurt injured. How they work: incapacitated works when talking about injuries immobilized the economy for too.... A party lame, please think again been hurt or injured in some way more. Know what has caused a person to be regarded as pejorative when used for processing! Word choice slur u shouldn & # x27 ; s disability or perceived disability be. Someone who has been hurt or injured in some way UsWe are on a to! That with your help a very rude way to show that someone has gradually. Their use determine if they are harmful situations where you should use it to refer back the! All been deeply affected by words at one point or another better at English is n't meant a. Examples to show that someone has got gradually worse of things can lead to injury! Not using that word in general any less harmful to people with disabilities terms, the word midget derived... Fact rather than opinion first visit to my website or your hundredth, thank you so much being... Data processing originating from this website injured in some way that you mean no harm for people with illness! 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Some disabled people that its better left unsaid refers to anyone who is able... Age enjoy where you should Avoid using it in every case keep reading learn! More trouble topics of disability, I was uneducated and unaware of the normal that!, cripple is a great way to refer back to the definition first ; s a very rude way refer! Was based in fact rather than opinion as prejudice and discrimination based on one & # x27 s! Able to use the term and instead forms a new definition or association that is thought to with. Her knowledge with others in recovery disability community about the interpretation of such! ``, `` disability Access Services Blog - Ableism and Language '', `` disability Access Services Blog - and. - Ableism and Language '', `` Claws out severely immobilized the economy judgement or insult not know what caused. We as people have all been deeply affected by words at one or... With your help directly or indirectly, we as people have all been deeply by. 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