Treating people with disabilities in a tolerant and equal way is one of the most important goals in modern society. A person-first language is an effective tool that helps to show respect for human beings with diverse problems and illnesses. However, there is an opinion that this method of communication is not beneficial as it highlights the differences between some humans in comparison to others (Montagnolo, 2019). The purpose of this paper is to investigate the specificities of the use of person-first language and analyze the level of its importance in the circumstances of a rapidly changing world.
It is necessary to maintain that the issue of mental and physical disabilities of children and adults has been underestimated for centuries. A person-first language is an approach of communication that is concentrated on naming the personality before his or her disease (Smart, 2016). Among the variety of examples, it is possible to suggest a way to talk about a child with autism. The phrase “autistic child” would be considered as not tolerant as the information about the illness goes before introducing the personality. On the opposite, “child with autism” shows respect for human dignity and, at the same, gives knowledge about the disease.
Despite the fact that the problem existed for centuries without any attempts to find a solution, in the 21st century, the situation began to change. Tolerance became one of the most crucial topics in developed countries and communities. Nevertheless, using specific terms for personalities with deviations requires setting the system of rules that are supposed to control people’s behavior. For example, Gernsbacher (2017) claims that humans use person-first language when talking about children with stigmatized disabilities. It leads to a particular type of discrimination among people with disabilities. According to the research of the scientist, the utilization of this phrase may result in ranging of people with diverse illnesses in different categories (Gernsbacher, 2017). The author of the article proposes a solution to this problem: she points out that this language shows the level of tolerance and equality in society in general. She highlights that it is beneficial for raising children with respect to human dignity (Gernsbacher, 2017). The best option is to use these phrases and the way of communication in ordinary life because it would help avoid stigmatization and discriminative behavior.
Another issue that should be taken into consideration is the correlation between the frequency of use of person-first language and the real desire of a human to help people with disabilities. Montagnolo (2019) investigated this problem and came to the conclusion that the link between the communicational tool and the actions is negative. It means that the more a human being uses person-first language, the less he or she is ready to be involved in the process of providing help and support (Montagnolo, 2019). The author proves the hypothesis by conducting research with people who use psychoactive drugs. Humans who used person-first language when talking about the study representatives were not ready to provide any aid. On the opposite, the other group who named people with disabilities in an ordinary way were more prepared to face the problem (Montagnolo, 2019). The use of these specific phrases is efficient only in case of its understanding and appreciation by society.
Person-first language is one of the first steps towards the formation of an equal and respectful world. However, the use of particular phrases is not effective without the desire to help, support, and care about people with disabilities. Society has to find the balance between the actions that would make the life of humans with illnesses more comfortable and the language that they use.
References
Gernsbacher, M. A. (2017). Editorial perspective: The use of person‐first language in scholarly writing may accentuate stigma. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 58(7), 859–861.
Montagnolo, C. E. (2019). The effects of person-first language on attributions about people with substance use disorders [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. The University of Texas.
Smart, J. (2016). Disability, society, and the individual. PRO-ED.