WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

Re: A question on political correctness...

for

From: John E Brandt
Date: Jul 20, 2012 9:20AM

I have noticed this too - and for a number of "disability groups." I am not
sure if it reflects a change in what people view as "politically correct" or
a general change in culture. I know that I often choose my words carefully
(or try to), but sometimes feel I have being over concerned.

"The Blind" and "The Deaf" are the two groups where this change has been
most noticeable. But I am now also hearing "The Dyslexic" and "The Autistic"
used fairly frequently.

I have my own theories about why this is happening, but it is interesting to
watch these changes over time.

~j

John E. Brandt
www.jebswebs.com
<EMAIL REMOVED>
207-622-7937
Augusta, Maine, USA

-----Original Message-----
From: <EMAIL REMOVED>
[mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Jesse Hausler
Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2012 7:07 PM
To: WebAIM Discussion List
Subject: [WebAIM] A question on political correctness...

I've been in the accessibility/disability field for probably 10 years now
and I've always wondered about the term, "the blind".

My 4 years in an occupational therapy setting always taught me to lead with
"people" first, as in "people who are blind", person with a disability, etc.
And I agree with and have always followed that practice.

But then there are organizations such as the NFB, AFB, and others who have
"the blind" in their names, charters, etc.

The reason I ask is that I'm putting together a session proposal for South
by Southwest. The premise is about how using tips and techniques from the
accessibility field will lead to products that are more universal, future
friendly, and of course accessible.

Given that SXSW sessions are chosen by popular Internet vote, they recommend
that titles are catchy, yet informative. A few ideas that came up include:

Taking Notes from the Blind - Make it Universal, not Accessible!
Stealing from the Blind - Make it Universal, not Accessible!
Stealing from the Blind - Mainstreaming Accessibility for Everyone!

And so on...

So I ask, on a scale of 1 to Offensive. Where does this fall and why?

Thanks for your feedback,

Jesse
messages to <EMAIL REMOVED>