How To Communicate Right

Maybe it seems obvious that you shouldn't use the word "retarded," but what about other terms like "handicapped" or "special"? What language should you choose when speaking about or communicating with people with disabilities? I did some research to provide guidance on choosing the right words.

Best Words

Although there are several different accepted terms and words for people with disabilities, one thing is for sure: The disability shouldn't be the focus—it's just a condition the person has, not how we define the person.

Golden adds that "'Disabilities" is a widely accepted term. 'With differing abilities' or 'differently-abled' are fine, though less common. Those last two terms are reminders that each of us has abilities that are greater or lesser—it's just a question of what those are."

Deborah Dagit, vice president and chief diversity officer of Merck & Co., recommends, "For referring to the group, I think 'people with disabilities' in the United States is still the preferred term, or the 'people-first language' that was recommended at the time when the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed."

"People-first language" puts emphasis on placing the individual BEFORE the disability. Two examples are "people with disabilities," not "disabled people," or "the manager who is blind" and not "the blind manager."
As a corporation, Merck & Co. has chosen the term "differently abled." "Unfortunately, the word 'disability' in many languages does not translate in a positive way," says Dagit. Outside the office, however, she recognizes varying opinions about that term. "I think 'differently abled' is evolving as we become more truly global in search for a language that works across geographic boundaries. But I wouldn't say that's the term that everyone would choose," she adds.

Nancy Starnes, director of external affairs for the National Organization on Disability (NOD), wouldn't choose that term for herself. "I prefer 'people with disabilities,' since 'differently' suggests setting me apart from the general population," she says. "I'm no different than thousands of other wheelchair users. I think of differently abled as a category for super athletes, computer high-techies or brainiacs. My knowledge and abilities are pretty average."

But if you ask Jim Sinocchi, director of workforce communications for IBM Corp. ;he's not really one for semantics. While he prefers the term "people with disabilities," the language he would choose would simply reflect "people [being] respectful, thoughtful and considerate to another human being."

Words to Avoid

Unfortunately, some of the offensive or incorrect terms have woven themselves into our common speech, words such as "special" and "wheelchair-bound." Make sure that you steer clear of any of the following terminology:

'Retarded'

"When I grew up, 'retarded' was the term used for people with below-average intelligence," says Golden. "Now, it's much more acceptable to say someone has intellectual, developmental or cognitive disabilities." Outside the medical field, Golden also advises using "mental-health issue" or "condition" instead of "mental illness."

'Handicapped'

"[This term] connotes a time when pity was considered an acceptable response rather than the current emphasis on empowerment and inclusion," says Golden.

'Disabled'

"[This term] is highly offensive; it negates a person's individuality and reduces her to a category generally perceived as negative," says Golden.

'Special'

"When you say 'special' with the connotation of disability it means that it's been adapted so that it's not at the same level," says Dagit. "In the context of employment, where people want to be competitive and be seen as valuable, it's really helpful to avoid the term 'special' because it means that you're going to need to be held to a different standard rather than expect the same things as you would your other colleagues."

'Wheelchair-Bound'

"Nobody is tied to their wheelchair," says Dagit. "And if the chair has a motor, the best way to refer to it is not an 'electric chair,' because that doesn't have very good connotations, but as a 'power chair.'"

'Gimp' or 'Crip'

Sinocchi makes his objection to this word very clear: "Calling anybody by a derogatory name like that, you just don't do it. It's not funny, it's demeaning and it's only meant to demean."

Etiquette for a Coworker to Ask

In an effort to bridge the gap with a coworker with a disability, people may want to find the most respectful way to address their coworker's disability. Timing, of course, is key. "I strongly suggest a conversation that happens after a strong rapport is established," advises Dagit. "But once you get to know the person, you can simply ask them, 'How do you prefer to have your condition referred to?' Rather than have questions in your mind, people with disabilities would generally prefer that they be given the opportunity to give you the right information."

When colleagues ask Sinocchi about why he uses a wheelchair, he makes a point of being open. "It goes back to knowing who you are, knowing how you're perceived by other people, and then operating that way," he says. "I'm not saying operate to the stereotypes, but operate to that level where you understand where people are coming from because they're unfamiliar with you."

Given the sensitive subject, though, you may not always end up with a simple resolution. "By asking about word preferences, a coworker indicates respect for the individual but may find that there is no one solution to the PC of words that will satisfy everyone," says Starnes.

If you ask me how I personally feel, I'll tell you that I don't really care!  Labels, names, stereo types, and titles carry too much power with them.  You cannot control how people label you, however you absolutely can decide to not allow power to those labels.  I know who I am, no matter what term is acceptable to the population.  For those that do care, and for those who desire to be respectful, this article will suffice.

"Don't allow your disABILITY to shut you out of life; your request for Access has been Granted"

Employers Are Not Doing Enough to Hire People With Disabilities

Even though companies recognize the importance of hiring employees with disabilities, they are still not hiring enough of these workers, and few are proactively making efforts to improve the employment environment, according to a new survey conducted by Harris Interactive.

The report, sponsored by the Kessler Foundation and the National Organization on Disability, found that little progress has been made in closing the employment gap between people with and without disabilities since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990.

According to the survey, only 21 percent of people with disabilities ages 18 to 64 reported that they are working either full or part time, compared with 59 percent of people without disabilities.

The 2010 Survey of Employment of Americans with Disabilities was conducted by telephone and online between March 2010 and April 2010 among 411 human-resource managers and senior executives at companies with more than 50 employees. It is the sixth survey in the past 24 years designed to measure the gaps between people with and without disabilities on different indicators and to track them over time. These indicators include: employment, income, education, health care, access to transportation, socializing, going to restaurants, attendance at religious services, political participation and life satisfaction.

According to the survey, although 70 percent of corporations polled have diversity policies or programs in place, only two-thirds of those with programs include disability as a component. Additionally, only 18 percent of companies offer an education program aimed at integrating people with disabilities into the workplace. The low figures are particularly notable given that a majority of employers perceive the costs of hiring a person with a disability to be the same as hiring a person without a disability (62 percent).

Among other findings:

• Only 1 in 5 companies (19 percent) has a specific person or department that oversees the hiring of people with disabilities. This is in contrast to 1995, when 40 percent of companies hired someone specifically for this reason

• Only 7 percent of companies with disability programs offer a disability affinity group. Employment represents the largest gap between the two groups

"Don't allow your disABILITY to shut you out of life; your request for Access has been Granted"

What Not To Say

If you have a friend, relative or coworker with an illness or disability that isn't obvious, you may think you're doing the right thing by saying he or she "looks so good." You can't even tell the person has a disability, and that's a good thing, right? Wrong.

Why do people with disabilities take offense to this comment and others like it? Ninety-six percent of illnesses are invisible to the average person, according to InvisibleIllness.com. To comment on a person's outward appearance dictates, intentionally or otherwise, that they should feel the way they look: just fine.

However, non-visible or chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, mental illness, lupus, multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia, can be debilitating.

"The term 'invisible disabilities' refers to a person's symptoms such as extreme fatigue, dizziness, pain, weakness, cognitive impairments, etc., that are sometimes or always debilitating. These symptoms can occur due to chronic illness, chronic pain, injury ... and are not always obvious to the onlooker," according to The Invisible Disabilities Advocate. "A person can have an invisible disability whether or not they have a 'visible' impairment or use an assistive device like a wheelchair, walker, [or] cane."

Keeping a good game face is required in corporate America, as it is considered unprofessional to bring personal problems into the workplace. But looking good and feeling good are two very different things--and the impact of a disability or illness is as much psychological as it is physical. From the glares people with non-visible disabilities get after parking in a handicapped spot to the "You're so lucky you get to stay in bed all day" comments, the ignorance of the limitations of life with a chronic illness or disability can hurt as much as the actual pain.

Open Mouth, Remove Foot

Comments that compare the appearance or ability of a person with a disability to a person without a disability have the same underlying message as saying to a woman, “Your report was well done, for a girl.”

Other real-life hurtful comments that should not be uttered to a person with a disability, and why:

1.     "It's probably just stress." This undermines a diagnosis given by a qualified medical professional and makes it seem as though the person with a disability is exaggerating.

2.     "My friend had that, and she manages just fine." The effects of a disease can and often do manifest themselves differently from one person to the next. Measuring the extent of a person's disability against the condition of another person is insulting.

3.     "No pain, no gain!" This cliche does not apply when it comes to disability.

4.     "It's all in your head." This is especially infuriating for people who struggled to get a diagnosis for their symptoms. Just because symptoms are not visible to others doesn't mean a person doesn't have an illness or disability. Leave the medical interpretations to the experts. This occurs frequently for those with mental illnesses. According to the Mayo Clinic, "To some, the word 'mental' suggests that the illness is not a legitimate medical condition but rather a problem caused by your own choices and actions."

5.     "You're just looking for attention/pity." Hardly. Many people think that those with disabilities are helpless, broken and weak. The stigma is one that newly diagnosed people often have to grapple with in their own minds, which makes it even more hurtful to hear this from other people. But the stigma is wrong.

6.     "You're here! You must finally be better." This fallacy can be maddening. For those with chronic illness, there is no cure, and hearing a comment such as this one proves that the illness is not understood--and that no effort was made to understand it. Becoming accustomed to an illness or disability is a personal journey that everyone makes at his or her own pace.

7.     "I really admire your courage/how you pretend nothing is wrong." People with disabilities learn to adapt their lives around their disability. It is not a show of courage or denial to carry on, and to insinuate such is offensive.

"Don't allow your disABILITY to shut you out of life; your request for Access has been Granted"

The Plight

People with disabilities cross all racial, gender, educational, socioeconomic and organizational lines. Americans with disabilities have a long history of being secluded and barred from participating in mainstream American life. In fact, it has only been in the last few decades that the government has removed some of these barriers and stigmas.

On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush first signed the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The signing of this law represented a milestone in this country's commitment to full and equal opportunity for all of its citizens. The ADA was the world's first comprehensive declaration of equality for people with disabilities and its message was clear and simple: For the first time, millions of Americans with disabilities were deemed full-fledged citizens entitled to legal protections that ensure them equal opportunity and a chance to pursue the American dream.

Specifically, Title I of the law prohibits employers with 15 or more employees from discriminating against individuals with disabilities when it comes to recruitment, hiring, promotions, training, pay, social activities and other privileges enjoyed by other employees.

An individual with a disability is defined by the ADA as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment.

The disability-rights movement grew out of the civil-rights movement of the 1960s. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned discrimination based on age, gender, race or ethnic origin. The law, however, did not include people with disabilities. But it did raise awareness that people with disabilities could achieve equal rights under the law.

Notwithstanding these significant developments, the overall status of people with disabilities in America still remains pretty dismal. People with disabilities are the poorest, least educated and largest minority in America. According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the August 2009 unemployment rate of people with disabilities was 16.9 percent, compared with 9.3 percent for people with no ADA-defined disability.

In addition, people with disabilities in the labor force were a mere 23 percent, compared with 72 percent for people with no disability, according to the Department of Labor.

"Don't allow your disABILITY to shut you out of life; your request for Access has been Granted"