Post #4441437

2026-08-08 06:32 UTC

The word “disabled” is a victimizing term that puts a label on an individual for straying too far from the norm in some inherent property. The term “disabled” glorifies “the norm”, whatever “the norm” happens to be in the present society. Have fewer than two arms? Disabled. Can’t stand up? Disabled. Can’t see or hear normally? Disabled. Don’t process information in the “normal” way? Disabled. Naturally sad or fatigued a lot? Disabled. We slap a label on people and tell them to go to lengths or buy equipment to merely *participate* in everyday life. It’s backwards. Instead, we need to put a label on the *system* that fails to accommodate the person. A society or built environment can be “hostile”, “under-equipped”, or even “eugenicist” if it doesn’t allow all people to operate in it. #disabled #disability #terminology #words

Replies (1)

@drahardja@sfba.social 2026-08-08 06:42

I’m reminded of an Air Force experiment around World War II to redesign the cockpit to accommodate contemporary pilots. They measured 4000+ pilots to determine the target dimensions of the new design. After designing the new theoretical cockpit to the average height, average arm length, average leg length, etc., they tried to fit their existing group of pilots in it and found that they could fit…zero people. Because no one is exactly average. The science of ergonomics instead correctly assumes that equipment need to accommodate a *wide range* of human dimensions to be most useful. This principle applies to our built environment and tools as well: their designs accommodate some range of human existence, but not others. Our goal should be to make our world accommodate the widest variety of human conditions, not to draw a line that says “no participation beyond this point” and exclude entire populations of people. Or worse, label and blame those excluded for their condition. https://www.thestar.com/news/insight/when-u-s-air-force-discovered-the-flaw-of-averages/article_e3231734-e5da-5bf5-9496-a34e52d60bd9.html

Open ##4441436