Poll 8: "PC" wording, is it right to request?

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If you had to pick one option, would you say that overall you agree or disagree with the sentiments expressed in this text extract?

Hello I have a few suggestions.

1. I see posters around college saying things like "equality" "diversity" and "see abilities not disabilities" yet then I see that there are people working for the college with titles promoting the opposite e.g. ASD Advisor (Autistic Spectrum Disorder Advisor). I agree with equality, diversity and seeing abilities. I think that diversity is an intended and essential thing built into us and that if people were only accepted as they are and had the chance to work towards their strengths whilst being compensated for their weaknesses by the group, that we would all be much more advanced and happier by now. So my suggestion is to use only neutral terms to describe someones neurology. So for example Autistic Spectrum Disorder Advisor would be renamed Autistic Spectrum Learning Advisor, since Autistic Spectrum is a neutral term and we have gotten rid of the derogatory term (which contrasts with your statements of equality, diversity and seeing abilities and not disabilities) "disorder".

I think equality is good, but politically correct language is a pain in the ass and the less of it the better.

yeah, everyone has their own ideas of what is "PC" and what isn't but you could try to find some common ground, as in the example no obvious derogatory terms is maybe a good start or even a good end if you want to call the rest of being "PC" too much trouble and a waste of time

I have a problem with that vile "R" word which I hate because I am not in anyway cognitively disabled and I have been hurt by being called that term.

I hate "differently abled" and "challanged" etc. I don't consider myself to be disabled, but I might if my AS kept me from doing what I want to do. I probably feel like I do because mine is mild. It's either really mild or I have forced myself to work around it for so long that it may seem milder than it is, to other people, and I may just be used to it, plus I don't really have anything to compare it to.

Back to the topic. I think those PC terms sound fake. Or at least they do to me. They sound like "We are going to pretend that this doesn't exist and that it's a good thing! Let's all cheer now!" I'm not only talking about ASD here, I'm talking about every single thing it's applied to. Blindness, deafness, CP, being in a wheelchair, etc, etc, and on and on. To me, it sounds like people are trying to pretend it doesn't exist or trying to pretend like they don't notice it. It just seems fake. I prefer plain terms. To me, AS is a disorder. Admitting that is no different than admitting that I might have an endocrine disorder, or a digestive disorder. It doesn't mean my life is ruined. It means I might need to find different ways to do things.

But the PC words seem to be just too Polyanna and fake happy.

This. Political correctness tries to avoid and/or "butter up" a certain issue (in the example given in the OP, "Autism Spectrum Learning Advisor" is just trying to avoid saying "Autism Spectrum Disorder Advisor"). Just come out, say "disorder" like most NT's perceive autism to be. To any NT's reading this post: I promise that saying the words "Autism Spectrum Disorder" will not "offend" me and make me go all ACLU on your asses.

"Equality" and "Fairness" are not the same things, and people should not only realize that fact, but they should accept it as well!

"Equality" is being the same; being treated the same; and having the same privileges, opportunities, rights, skills, and talents; while "Fairness" is everyone following the same rules everywhere and all of the time.

Denying that I'm disabled has done more damage than people using negative language.

Being clear that autism comes with advantages is good and should be necessary. But denying that its a disability causes more damage to me .

Yeah that is pretty close to how I feel about it as well.

I'm down with everyone who says don't deny that autism is a disorder and/or a disability.

I think the term "politically correct" is too vague and subjective to really be useful, as some people object to tortuous constructions such as "differently abled" but other people object to the idea that not being rude and disrespectful to others on the basis of traits they have no control over somehow limits their freedom and essential selves, and I think that those people really don't deserve the time of day.

Note that I may be completely wrong regarding my sense of what PC should be in practice. As others pointed it out I think that it can be a bit overstressed. So, while I agree that there should be special help for students with ASD in the form of a qualified "ASD Advisor", I don't think that substituting a milder word for "disorder" in their name makes any difference.

I believe everyone should receive support so that they have the same chance to be successful in education (and after), compensating for their disability as much as reasonably possible (I call this libertarian, no less).

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Last edited by nat4200 on 19 Apr 2012, 5:24 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Last edited by nat4200 on 19 Apr 2012, 5:24 am, edited 4 times in total.

Really, the use of words is all about context. If someone calls me a ret*d, I get offended, as would many others on the spectrum, I'm sure. But if me and my Aspie best friend are talking and jokingly use the term "ret*d" to describe something, neither of us care.

I hate ASC (autism spectrum condition) instead of ASD. It just sounds like they are sugar coating it so it makes their children feel better. It's a disorder, if it weren't it wouldn't be in the DSM IV.

See, I don't get that. You're using the word in the same context one would to insult autism - low intelligence, stupid, etc. You're not using it in its actual meaning, so you're no better than those people who insult autistics by calling us ret*d.