People First Language

"A person with Down syndrome." It seems like an easy thing to say, but many times the person in that sentence is forgotten and the diagnosis becomes the label.

Here are some basic guidelines for using People First Language from the NDSC:

Put people first, not their disability

• A "person with a disability", not a "disabled person"
• A "child with autism", not an "autistic child"

Use emotionally neutral expressions

• A person "with" cerebral palsy, not "afflicted with" cerebral palsy
• An individual who had a stroke, not a stroke "victim"
• A person "has" Down syndrome, not "suffers from" Down syndrome

Emphasize abilities, not limitations

• A person "uses a wheelchair", not "wheelchair-bound"
• A child "receives special education services", not "in special ed"

Adopt preferred language

• A "cognitive disability" or "intellectual disability" is preferred over "mentally retarded"
• "Typically developing" or "typical" is preferred over "normal"
• "Accessible" parking space or hotel room is preferred over "handicapped"

Actors with Down syndrome

Since it is Oscar night, let's take a moment to look at Movies that feature an actor with Down syndrome.

Television Movies

2008 - The Memory Keeper' s Daughter- Lifetime Krystal Nausbaum
2001 - Jewel- CBS Ashley Wolfe
2000 - Flowers for Algernon- CBS David McFarlane
1997 - Smudge- TNT Andrea Friedman
1995 - My Antonia- USA Blair Williamson
1992 - Jonathan: The Boy Nobody Wanted- NBC Chris Burke, K.C. Clarizo
1987 - The Kid Who Wouldn' t Quit- ABC Brad Silverman
1987 - Kids Like These- (11-08-87) CBS Ted Polito
1987 - Celebration Family- ABC Mindy Zazanis
1982 - The Kid from Nowhere- NBC Ricky Wittman
1977 - This is My Son- NBC

Feature Films

2006 - Unknown- The Weinstein Co. Blair Williamson
2005 - The Ringer- Fox Eddie Barbanell, John Taylor
2003 - Afterlife- Soda Pictures (UK) Paula Sage
2001 - I Am Sam- Alliance Atlantis Brad Silverman
1996 - The Eighth Day- Gramercy Pictures Pascal Duquenne
1988 - The Seventh Sign" Columbia TriStar John Taylor

Other's can be found on Down Syndrome in Arts & Media.

AAPD Honors Glee and Others

Tuesday, March 15, 2011 6:15 p.m. Reception 7 p.m. Dinner The Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center Atrium 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW – Washington, DC SPIRIT OF THE ADA AWARD Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner, Jr. & Mrs. Cheryl Sensenbrenner PAUL G. HEARNE AWARDS/AAPD LEADERSHIP AWARDS Jessica Lehman Community Resources for Independent Living Catharine McNally Keen Guides, Inc. AAPD IMAGE AWARD To the Cast and Creative Team behind the Fox Television show “Glee” All proceeds benefit American Association of People with Disabilities, a 501(c)(3) non profit organization. The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the country's largest cross-disability membership organization, organizes the disability community to be a powerful voice for change – politically, economically, and socially. AAPD was founded in 1995 to help unite the diverse community of people with disabilities, including their family, friends and supporters, and to be a national voice for change in implementing the goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). I attended an AAPD Awards Gala in the past and it was a special experience that I will remember forever. This organization goes to great lengths to champion causes for all people with disabilities.

R-Word

Spread the word to end the word.

Spread the Word to End the Word is an on-going effort to raise the consciousness of society about the dehumanizing and hurtful effects of the word "retard(ed)" and encourage people to pledge to stop using the R-word. The campaign is intended to get schools, communities and organizations to rally and pledge their support.

Why does it hurt? The R-word hurts because it is exclusive. It’s offensive. It’s derogatory. The R-word is hate speech.

On October 5, 2010, U.S. President Barack Obama officially signed bill S. 2781 into federal law. Rosa’s Law, which takes its name and inspiration for 9-year-old Rosa Marcellino, removes the terms “mental retardation” and "mentally retarded" from federal health, education and labor policy and replaces them with people first language “individual with an intellectual disability” and “intellectual disability.”


This word is used way too often in casual conversations and it has to stop.
Fore example the r-word was used over 38,000 times on 2/25 on the internet. 

Tonight On Private Practice

Tonight’s episode of ABC’s PRIVATE PRACTICE, “Two Steps Back” will feature an actress with Down syndrome.  M.E. Powell will be featured as an unwed expectant teen.  Her boyfriend is played by a typical actor, but his character has a developmental disability.  M.E. was also featured on an episode of TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL in 2001.