Cripple, dumb, spaz, spastic, midget, crazy, invalid, handicapped, moron, idiot, retarded, deaf-mute, deaf and dumb, stupid, Mongol … these are only some hurtful terms that inconsiderate people use to refer to people with disabilities. Frequently used when assumptions, often incorrect, are made.

I’ll begin this musing with a relevant story from my own life. Since 1992 I have lived with multiple sclerosis (MS) as an unwelcome companion. This classifies me as a PWD (person with disability) because my MS has resulted in my needing mobility aids. I use a rollator (walker) for short distances and a mobility scooter when venturing further.

Previously, I used a normal manual wheelchair, an experience I disliked. In a wheelchair, the person pushing you stands behind you so you cannot converse easily. With a mobility scooter, you drive next to companions and chat as if you were walking. My daughter and I used to shop together. You then still had to sign your credit card slips. I’d present my card to the cashier to pay and, almost without fail, the slip would be given to my daughter to sign. This speaks to preconceptions; in this case, there was an assumption that because I cannot walk unaided, I must also be mentally deficient. Hurtful, as you can imagine.

Poor balance is an MS symptom and people with MS often have an awkward gait. A fellow sufferer recalls going into a restaurant to collect her order and overhearing someone commenting that she was drunk. Assumptions can be hurtful. Remember the saying: Assuming makes an ASS out of U and ME.

Independence!

To my delight, I acquired a mobility scooter, to which my late husband cheerfully affixed a numberplate reading ‘Vooma GP’. I went shopping on it, still accompanied by my daughter, and the cashier handed me the voucher! Did the fact that I was mobilising myself indicate to her that I can operate independently?

My scooter and I have travelled (unaccompanied) locally and internationally, to go ballooning and parachuting, to swim the Midmar Mile, to swim with dolphins in Mozambique and on other adventures!

As a freelance writer and editor, I work from home and I’m as proficient as many other editors. Yet some people express or exhibit surprise when I tell them. The same reaction when I advise that I still drive – a hand control car. Whether bias is conscious or unconscious, how much do we judge fellow PEG members or other people on their appearance or presentation?

When an employee must take extended time off as a result of a debilitating condition, are they unreliable? Or could the employer not meet with the person to discuss adjustments to job requirements? Office environments can be adjusted to suit individual needs through applying universal, accessible design. Neurodiverse interior spaces are more detailed for people on the spectrum. Working remotely may also be an option. Companies are often quick to board people with challenging conditions; yet there are other options. Medical boarding occurs because the employee is not able to continue working according to job requirements because of ill health or injury. The employee continues to be paid a percentage of their salary but no longer works for the company. Why not determine whether an experienced PWD with extensive experience can continue adding value with adaptations to job requirements, rather than having to invest more resources into training a new employee in the role?

Terminology and consideration

Appropriate terminology is also important. I used a bathroom recently and found it marked ‘Paraplegic bathroom’. Paraplegia describes ‘the partial or complete paralysis of the lower half of the body with the involvement of both legs’. That’s not me, so am I not allowed to use that bathroom? And what about people with other impairments? The correct term for these bathrooms is ‘Accessible’ – a more inclusive term. They are for those who need them; yet those who don’t need accessible bathrooms, often use them. The actual accessibility of some of these bathrooms is a topic on which I can wax lyrical!

Parking is another area of contention. Disabled bays are near entrances to facilitate access for PWDs. Have you ever stopped in one because ‘I’m just waiting for someone’, ‘I’m going to be a short while’, etc.? These responses are often used when confronting offenders. At a garage on the Johannesburg–KZN route, a sign reads, ‘Stupidity is NOT a disability.’ Well said. And when beacons are placed to block the bays, pray, how is the PWD driver supposed to move them?

How does PEG do in this area?

As a PEG PWD member, I can happily say that I have never felt ‘othered’ or ‘less than’. On the contrary, I find fellow members considerate of my needs. Function registrations usually ask if you have special needs and when no disabled parking is available at venues, someone holds a normal bay for me. Fellow PWD members express the same sentiments.

So, what can we take away from this musing? Let us be aware of the words and attitudes we use to describe and interact with PWDs and in terminology used in our editing. Never judge by appearances and remember that ‘a disability is NOT an inability’. Consider people like Stephen Hawking and Helen Keller, PWDs who achieved amazing things while living with severe disabilities!

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