Nobody has Disabilities

If you have any kind of regular correspondence with Rowell Family Empowerment you might have noticed that we rarely use the term disabled or its derivatives disability and disabilities. Yes, sometimes we slip up, but let me tell you why we prefer to use the more positive term diverse ability and what it means.

Disregard, disrespect, dismember. All of those words have a negative connotation. In fact, the prefix dis denotes negation or absence. If you’re disregarded you’re ignored and unimportant. If you’re disrespected you’re not treated with dignity. And if you’re dismembered, well, you have an appendage or two that’s missing.

We feel that disability has too much in common with those words and every other word that starts with dis. And we don’t want anyone to feel “dissed.” We want people to feel able and we want them to feel empowered.

We believe the emphasis shouldn’t be placed on the dis, but on the ability. And we believe in most cases there isn’t a true lack of ability, as disability suggests. For example, it’s not that a non-verbal child cannot communicate, but rather that he communicates differently. Everyone else might talk with their mouth but he might use an electronic device instead. He has a diverse ability, not a disability. And it’s not that someone in a wheelchair can’t walk, but rather that he rolls to his destination. It’s not that he can’t get to his destination but that he gets there in a different manner than most people.

You’ve probably heard the term differently abled. We like that. It doesn’t draw the focus on what someone can’t do. It doesn’t point out their failings. I can’t imagine if everyone referred to me by first pointing out my failings. They’d say, “Hey look! There’s the guy that can’t sing, dance or repair a lawn mower engine. His feet are tiny, he has a concave chest, and his ears are prominent!” (This is not an exhaustive list.) Meanwhile I would sink down in my chair as I’m reminded once again of my inadequacies. People wouldn’t even have to say it. Just knowing that people thought of me in that way would make me feel discouraged and belittled.

So next time you see someone who has Down Syndrome or Autism don’t refer to them as being disabled. We urge you to join the revolution and view them as being a person. Yes, they may be differently abled or have a diverse ability. But don’t think about what they can’t do because they can do more than you think. Propel them forward with encouragement, respect and a sense of equality.

If you ponder the concept you’ll realize it’s not that strange. It’s all about changing your focus and choosing to be positive! It’s about looking at what someone CAN accomplish, not what they can’t accomplish. And in many ways everyone has diverse abilities! But nobody has disabilities.