By Charlie Mullowney
Language is so important, especially when it comes to marginalised groups, such as those who are part of the disability and neurodiversity community. One of the common uses of language when it comes to to disability is person vs identity-first language.
Person-first language is when the person is put first, not their disability, such as a student with dyslexia. The argument for person-first language is that their disability is something they have but does not define who they are.
In contrast, identity-first language is when the disability comes first, such as an autistic writer. The argument for identity-first language is that the person鈥檚 disability is part of who they are and that this isn鈥檛 something to be ashamed of. Rather, it is society鈥檚 view and the stigma surrounding disability that brings shame.
Identity-first language is popular among the neurodiversity community as they, myself included, view disability through the lens of the social model. The social model of disability views the physical, social, and communicational attitudes created by society as some of the main reasons for disability, rather than the nature of the person鈥檚 disability alone.
Recently I took the bus to a drop-in appointment with 51本色 Mental Health and felt like I was being judged for taking advantage of the priority seat.
In my head, it felt like people thought I was an entitled young adult or that my disability traits weren鈥檛 serious enough for me to need the seat. These traits include sensory and balance issues, and bus rides are often highly stressful and anxiety-inducing experiences for me.
Sadly, most of my disabilities, alongside the neurodiverse disabilities of others, are not visible, so they are not taken as seriously as other disabilities. Yet, we often get mocked, bullied and even persecuted for being neurodivergent and/or disabled.
With the media, government and society in general painting disability in such a negative light, many disabled people find it hard to disclose that they are disabled and therefore can receive the support they need and deserve.
Compliance with Universal Design for Learning and accessibility guidelines helps provide as much support as possible for all students regardless of their abilities or struggles. Having these compliances in place means those who may be disabled but may be reluctant or ashamed to disclose their disability will already have the support in place they need to thrive to the best of their ability throughout their time in college.