Desegregating disability

Joni Eareckson Tada was paralysed from the neck down in a diving accident when just 17 years old.

Each year the Biblical Counselling Coalition holds a leaders’ summit – the most recent focussed on the issue of counselling and disability. Joni was this year’s guest speaker. She has written about her struggle to hold on to faith in the face of such a life-changing injury and has gone on to establish an extensive ministry focussed on disability. Several things struck me on the retreat.

Language is powerful

First, how we refer to disability matters because language is powerful. ‘We have a ministry to the disabled’ makes it sound as if disability is the only thing worth saying about a person. Similarly, ‘Susan is Down’s’ suggests Down’s Syndrome defines Susan. ‘Susan suffers from Down’s Syndrome’ isn’t much better. Person-first language encourages us to start with the person: ‘Susan is a person who has Down’s Syndrome’.