Avionics News November 2011 - (Page 54)

series b y P A T R I C I A L U E b K E People First his past summer, a couple of long-time friends came to visit me. The wife is recovering from a stroke and walks with difficulty with a cane, and her speech is somewhat slurred. We all got comfortably situated, I poured the fresh lemonade, and the conversation began. After a few minutes, I realized that I was only making eye contact with her husband and directing all my comments and questions to him. A bell went off in my head telling me I was doing the exact thing people Interacting Appropriately with People with Disabilities T with disabilities complain about. The wife had become invisible to me, and it was wrong. I quickly changed my ways and asked her if she had seen a mutual acquaintance of ours. She said yes, and I asked her, “Is he still so… so…?” She helpfully filled in with the right word, “Sanctimonious?” Bingo. People first, disability second. An overriding rule is that you refer to people with disabilities just as that. They are people with disabilities, not disabled people. It’s popular to rail against the so-called political correctness of language, questioning what difference it makes. As an aside, consider New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s edict that the site of the World Trade Center no longer be referred to as Ground Zero, but rather as its new address: One World Trade Center. This, too, is “just words,” but it changes the entire dynamics of the site. Remembering that people with disabilities are people first will subtly, and not so subtly, change your own outlook and perceptions. Watch your language. Check the words you use to describe a person with a disability. Remember the “people first” rule. It’s “a person with cerebral palsy,” not “a cerebral palsy victim.” It’s “a person with multiple sclerosis,” not “afflicted with multiple sclerosis.” There are negative and outdated words that should be deleted from your vocabulary when describing people with disabilities, such as: crippled, lame, deformed, retarded, crazy or dumb. For example, a person is not “confined to a wheelchair,” but simply “uses a wheelchair.” Should you ask questions about the disability? Since people with disabilities are all individuals, there is no right or wrong answer to this question. Some don’t mind at all, while others actually encourage questions. Tom Peyton, the owner of Gentleman Taxi in Richmond, Va., said, “Don’t be afraid to ask a disabled person what happened to them if they are a little older. I appreciate the honest approach instead of hiding behind a corner staring.” But, there are some people with disabilities who are more private and don’t appreciate having to share the details of their particular situation. Kelly Rouba, who uses a wheelchair due to severe arthritis – and also was Ms. Wheelchair New Jersey and serves as a national spokesperson and on the board of directors for the Arthritis National Research Foundation – offers this advice: “Keep in mind there is a time and a place to ask about a disability. For instance, questions shouldn’t be asked in front of a crowd or asked loudly for all to hear. I really dislike 54 avionics news • november 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News November 2011

Point of Communication
AEA Now
The View From Washington
International News and Regulatory Updates
EVS
Member Profile
High Plains Possibilities
Electronic Engine Instruments
A Conversation With...
Crisis Aloft?
Meet the AEA Board
Aviation Aces
Business Basics
Pro*to*col
Legal Ease
Advertisers Index
Theory & Practice
What's New
Marketplace Classifieds

Avionics News November 2011