Do the words disability and handicapped mean the same thing?
August 1st, 2010 | 
Author: Do the words disability and handicapped mean the same thing?
The short answer is NO. Disability and handicapped do not mean the same thing. And the differences are important. 
Is Stevie Wonder handicapped?
Does Stevie Wonder have a disability?
“A DISABILITY refers to a reduction of function or the absence of a particular body part or organ.”
So YES, Stevie Wonder, who is blind, would qualify as a person with a disability.
A disability is usually a lifelong condition: autism, an intellectual disability (the new term for mental retardation), cerebral palsy, or being deaf or blind….
Does Stevie Wonder have a handicap?
“A HANDICAP is viewed as a disadvantage resulting from a disability that limits or prevents fulfillment.”
Does being blind prevent Stevie Wonder from singing or achieving personal fulfillment as an entertainer? NO. So Stevie Wonder, though he has a disability, does not have a handicap.
Does Stevie Wonder need support? Of course. If Stevie Wonder did not have a personal assistant or any of the other modifications and adaptations he needed, then he might be handicapped.
See the difference?
Terrence Parkin swam in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, winning a Silver Medal for South Africa. Does he have a disability? Yes, he is deaf. Does he have a handicap? Not as long as they add strobe light signals to the usual auditory buzzer to start the race. If however, the committee didn’t agree to add the strobe lights, then Terrence would have been handicapped and unable to participate in the Olympic Summer Games. Being handicapped can depend on the attitudes and social construction of the culture.
Disability is socially constructed
Like many people my age, I have trouble reading small print, (Disability). If I lived in a society where there were no books, or it was against the law to teach women to read, it might not matter if my eyesight was as sharp as it was when I was younger. However, in my culture, so many people wear glasses there is no stigma attached to having the disability of poor eyesight. So, I do not have a handicap. If I use a wheelchair and the building is accessible, I can still have a disability, but I can go to the grocery, do my banking… and not be handicapped. (I hope this makes sense. We will talk more about this in a future post.)
Why is this important?
If you or someone you love has a disability, it is not the end of the world. Even though there might not be a medical miracle or cure at this time, the disability is just a disability. No one wants to be different than anyone else. No one wants to have a harder time doing things than other people, but with the right supports it is possible to have a fulfilling and satisfying life, and not be handicapped.
This is a message full of hope. Robert Schuller says, “Look at what you have left, not what you have lost.” Physical, Occupational, Speech Therapists, Teachers, Counselors, as well as family members, friends and neighbors can look at their attitudes toward a person with a “disability” and rather than get stuck on something they can’t fix, instead spend their energy on creating an inclusive environment that is accessible for all of us.
This is our call to action: We can each think about what we can add, subtract or change to the environment to give a person with a disability the support they need so they will never have to be handicapped.
In the comments tell me what you are thinking. Do you have a story to share? How are you making your child or loved one less handicapped?
Reference:
Bauer and Shea (1997) Special education: A social systems perspective. Brown and Benchmark: Chicago.p. 12.
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Just learned from Katie Snow of Disability is Natural:
LANGUAGE CHANGE!
Thanks to the hard work of the Advocacy Leadership Network (ALN) of Hamilton County (Ohio) DD Services, the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners officially resolved that “accessible” will replace “handicapped” on all new and replacement signs in the county! ALN, composed of leaders who have disabilities, had previously been instrumental in having “mental retardation” removed from state laws in Ohio.
Posted in Advocacy, Autism, Caregivers, Disability, Inclusion, Parents, Transformational Experiences | Tags: adults with autism, adults with disabilities, autism, definition of disability, definition of handicap, Disability, Handicapped, parents of people with disabilities, Stevie Wonder, Terrace Partin
Hi Mary I really like this. If only someone would have spread this simple truth around when I was growing up.
I’ll add a little twist I read a long time ago. I can’t for the life of me remember who or in what book I read it in. So here it goes. A disease(read impairment) has two components. 1. the actual disease itself. 2.the meaning that the disease is given.
Have a great day.
You are right, there is the actual disability and then there is all the stuff associated with the disability.
that’s inspiring, some people are handicapped even though they don’t have any disabilities, its all because of limiting beliefs
Glad to have you here. You’re right, words make for a tricky business.
Great blog! I definitely love how it’s easy on my eyes and also the data are well written. I am wondering how I could be notified whenever a new post has been made. I have subscribed to your rss feed which really should do the trick! Have a nice day!
Thank you so much. Just got the “subscription” app. today. It’s in the top left corner. You are great for my confidence and I think the first subscriber. HOOT! HOOT!
I’ve also added some social media buttons, so you can tweet the articles, pass on to Facebook, your friends…. Thanks so much.
I think this is very important. Thanks a lot.
For those who understand the difference, this is a life changing idea. Hope you can use this in your work.
This is the most comprehensive and well written material I have come across on this subject, You are provided an incredibly important service writingthese types of articles.
Aaron’s physical therapist said this concept originated with therapist. I couldn’t find an citation, but that makes sense.
I’ve considered many blogs and I can for sure tell that this one is my favorite .
Glad you liked this Domenica. I’ve been learning about disabilities for over 30 years. Hope you’ll stop by again.
Great article! We were considering writing something very similar, would you mind if we incorporated some of your thoughts into our article if we link back to you? By the way, keep up the excellent work.
I cannot WAIT to read more of this. I mean, you just know so much about this. So much of it Ive never even thought of. You sure did put a new twist on something that Ive heard so much about. I dont believe Ive actually read anything that does this subject as good justice as you just did.
I like the way you think. I had never considered that.
Very interesting entry, I look forward to the next! Thx for share
Geeze, I never knew…
If this helps you, we’d love to have you give examples.
I read something a long time ago that didn’t use the terminology “handicapped” versus “disabled”, but made a similar point. Let’s say you’re a person who uses a wheelchair. You live in an apartment in the city. The apartment building has elevators; the city has curb cuts; you have access to a bus with a lift; the grocer, your workplace, the hair salon, the restaurant are all accessible. You are probably able to do whatever you want to do. Then take the same person, put them in a house in a rural area with stairs, no transportation, etc. Their abilities change dramatically.
Exactly! You got it.
The positive part is that while me might not be able to cure the MS, or Polio, or CP or ….
We can add ramps and make buildings accessible.