Thursday, June 7, 2018

People First

My 6 year old, Cohen, is a trickster. He can make anyone laugh with a well-timed prank and the contagious giggle he releases at the conclusion of it. He is fiercely loyal to the people he loves. Just try to pick on his little sister or even correct one of his big brothers and he’s in fight mode. He’s known for his mad dance moves and rarely does a day in our home pass without at least one Cohen-initiated dance party. Cohen also has Down syndrome. He is not a “Special Needs Child.” He is a child first: a child with special needs.

This simple shift of language is called Person First Language (PFL). I know it sounds complex and like something geared toward the over-sensitive. I get it. No one likes to have to string together more words or wrack his or her brain for the correct terminology in any given situation. It doesn’t seem like it should be a big deal. Downs baby or baby with Down syndrome- it seems like more work to say the same thing. However, PFL is about far more than semantics; it’s about identity. It’s about humanity. We all long to be seen, to be valued, and to belong.

When we reduce people to their disabilities, we rob them of the dignity we all long for. We set them apart from ourselves without knowing anything else about them.

Cohen is a funny, loyal, dancing boy who has Down syndrome. Down syndrome is a part of who my son is, but it is not what defines him!

When we use PFL, we are acknowledging someone’s humanity over his or her label. This is a gift. Not only to the person we are speaking to or about, it is a gift to ourselves and our communities. We offer ourselves the chance to really see the other person as a person. We might be overlooking or underestimating people in our own circles, because in our minds “he’s just the Down syndrome guy” or “the disabled lady” or “the special needs child.” When we look first to the person we might find a valued coworker, a trustworthy friend, or a hilarious prankster.

By looking beyond disability, we offer our communities access to an underutilized and highly motivated workforce, citizens with more to offer the world than just their disability, and a generation growing up with a can-do attitude.

And while Person First Language is quite the mouthful, actually using it is pretty easy. “Special needs child” turns into “child with special needs.” Instead of saying someone “is disabled”, try “has a disability.”

When in doubt just remember: the person comes first.

You are making our communities more inclusive and welcoming by just recognizing the people who inhabit it alongside you.