Disability Justice Guide
Disability Justice Self-Study Guide - Students
The disability justice movement informed so much of what we think of as “harm reduction”. Person-centered language; respecting agency and autonomy; dignity of risk; right to defining wellness and health for oneself, etc. Here are a few definitions from the resource linked above that relate:
Identity-First Language: n. Identity-First Language emphasizes disability as a valid, defining, and frequently permanent part of a person’s identity. Instead of saying “person with autism,” someone using IFL would say “autistic person” or “So-and-so is autistic.” IFL is especially common for those in the autistic/Autistic, deaf/Deaf, and blind/unsighted communities. Though some members of the community prefer Person-First Language (See below), IFL users consider that naming the identity as an integral part of their personhood shows solidarity with disabled communities and more firmly establishes that disability is not a disease or a source of suffering. Not everyone in disabled communities prefers Identity-First Language, however. It is important to respect each individual’s preference on how they would like to be referred.
I am Disabled: On Identity-First Versus People-First Language
Content warning: Mentions antiquated, derogatory terms for disability.
Healthism: n. A pervasive belief that health and wellness are both universally-desired properties and moral responsibilities of each individual, rather than a complex factor of embodiment influenced by social factors such as environment, disparities, institutional oppression, and other macro-level forces. As a result of healthism, fat people, disabled people, and those with chronic illnesses often become targets of blame for their medically-stigmatized physical and mental (dis)abilities and are therefore deemed lazy, irresponsible, and therefore unworthy of care and other basic resources. Medical providers and others who perpetuate healthism may suggest that lifestyle modifications like exercise and dieting can “fix” or “cure” chronic illnesses and/or disabilities rather than taking into account a person’s socioeconomic status, access to nutritious food and healthcare, and/or space and time in which to move their bodies.
We Have to Stop Thinking of Being ‘Healthy’ as Being Morally Better
