As we head into another election cycle, I’m paying attention to the language politicians use to talk about people with disabilities. This is not a partisan issue. I’ve heard politicians on both sides of the aisle use disparaging or dehumanizing language when it comes to disabilities.
I’m not looking for perfection, but I am on the lookout for candidates who use language to lift up the most vulnerable among us. I’m listening for women and men who recognize the inherent dignity in people with disabilities. I’m wondering if there are politicians who believe and communicate that people with disabilities both belong and matter in our society. I’m paying attention to all of this both because disabled people deserve that respect but also because what we believe about people with disabilities often extends to the way we value all of our diverse human lives.
How politicians talk about disability matters. To all of us.
MORE WITH AMY JULIA:
- Workshop: Reimagining Family Life with Disability
- S7 E15 | Bringing Politics Under the Power of Love with Michael Wear
- S7 E 10 | Disability and the Language We Use with Andrew Leland
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