Disability has always had kind of special place in my heart, as my twin brother has Down Syndrome. I have always been interested on how to approach and communicate with people with variety of disabilities, as it isn’t ever the same thing twice. But I think I am quite good at it now, and I thought I’d take a bit different approach, one I haven’t taken before. I read Rebecca Mallett’s book Approaching Disability, and she had an training model on how to act with disabled people, and it’s called DET, shortage of Disability Equality Training. I haven’t ever seen actual training model for this subject for this before, so it was exciting to read what kind of model has been created. The training model has 12 things which needs to be taken into accord while speaking to disabled people, and while I disagree with some of these, mainly there are good points in it. I try to demonstrate why I disagree with some, as I open the model more.

DET was created by disabled people in late 1970s in the UK. There were many creators making it, who all had some kind of disablement. I understand that it may be hard for me to go against it for even some points, but I’ll try to stay objective. But DET consists 12 things not to say to disabled people as I mentioned before, and I’ll open those now.

1. Afflicted with- This conveys negative view of disability. This to me is understandable, and personally I know, that my brother isn’t afflicted with Down Syndrome. He’s a lot happier than most of us.

• Suffering from, This confuses disability with illness. This is basically the same thing as before, disability doesn’t mean illness. They can be healthier than happier than many of the “normal” people around.

• The Blind- This is basically like saying “the blacks” or the “shorts” and think all of them are alike. The diversity between blind people can’t be overlooked, and their sight also varies from each other. They are individuals like the rest of us.

• Victim of- Again a bit of a same thing than before, they aren’t necessarily victims or they don’t suffer about anything. This is a thing that is useful to remember.s

• Cripple or crippled by, Here I disagree a bit. In the book, it says that for example calling someone crippled by car crash can be offensive, but I just don’t see it that way. I think you obviously could use some different word to it, but again I have familiar people who have been crippled by an accident, and they don’t see it as offensive. Maybe if you laugh at it then yes, but being respectful when talking about it, this single word to me doesn’t make it offensive.

• Wheelchair bound, again, the book says that disabled people aren’t tied in their wheelchairs, which is obviously true. They are able to get up with assistance and so on. But saying this and someone taking it so literally would a bit weird to me. Like you obviously know they aren’t tied and don’t mean it that way, and I think people in the wheelchairs understand what you mean, they aren’t dumb.

• Deaf and Dumb, Mallett says this phrase is demeaning and inaccurate, and I think she is right. I think that this isn’t like life threatengly bad, but this just isn’t necessary at any point, so why just not use other phrase. It’s true that deaf people aren’t actually dumb, but this phrase may imply that. But again, I don’t think this is that serious either that anyone could genuinely be badly offended by this.
• The Disabled, here I understand why this should’t be used. Again a bit same thing than it was with the blind, the disabled isn’t actually a single group of people who can be categorized as the same. Individuals are individuals, are they disabled people or not.

• People with disabilities, Here the book says that this implies that society disables the individual, and while this isn’t as bad as the disabled or the blind and this is bit more kindly said, it again does categorize people into same box. But as said, I don’t think anyone would actually be offended by this, it isn’t straightforwardly insulting or rude.

1. Handicapped, Book says this term is inappropriate, but again I don’t quite understand why. I don’t see a difference saying invalid, handicapped or disabled. I believe if you say this nicely and respectfully, it isn’t seen as offensive. That goes on many things, delivery and voice can make a massive difference, even if the words are same.

1. Invalid, The term literally means not valid. As I do understand and see this, again when said the right way and respectfully I believe no one will be offended.

1. Able Bodied, preferred term here is non-disabled in the book, but again, I can’t see a lot of difference.

I do think that while this list has important things which should’t be said, some of them sound like twitter snowflakes. Disabled people mostly aren’t snowflakes, and you can speak to them like regular people, obviously avoiding some of the worst comments and categorizing. But when the tone is respectful and kind, there shouldn’t be any bad issues.