Ellen,

You are so right on!! Language is so very important. And for those on this
list who may need a short-and-sweet language guide to disability etiquette,
please check out:

http://www50.pcepd.gov/pcepd/pubs/fact/comucate.htm

Carol Boyer
Project Associate
RESNA Technical Assistance Project
1700 N. Moore Street, Suite 1540
Arlington, VA 22209
703/524-6686, x- 309 (V)
703/524-6639 (TTY)
703/524-6630 (Fax)
[log in to unmask]
http://www.resna.org/taproject

-----Original Message-----
From: Ellen Perlow [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, May 11, 2001 4:01 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: We are PEOPLE FIRST!

Dear Accessibility Advocates:

Re: Jeffrey Sutton's nomination

To reiterate a message I have posted before:

As long as we are "THE DISABLED" = by dictionary definition  non-functioning
inanimate objects, we can kiss goodbye any civil [=people] rights.

If we ever become perceived as PEOPLE, PEOPLE First, there might be a
glimmer of
hope in being granted a civil [people] right or two.

We advocates and people who self-identify as people with differabilities may
fully understand and appreciate that people who do things differently are
people who do achieve and accomplish "like everyone else." Please do not
assume
that everyone else knows what we know [they don't].

Change the Language.  Change the Perception.

Positive Language--People FIRST Language (preferably without "dis" and other
negative terminology) Sells and Wins.  Every Time.

Ellen Perlow
Chair, ALA ASCLA Century Scholarship Committee
The ALA ASCLA Century Scholarship Diversity Initiative
"Celebrating a New Century that Celebrates Diversity"
http://www.ala.org/ascla/centuryscholarship.html
Have YOU recruited/applied to be a Century Scholarship applicant today?
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Tel.: 940-898-2622  Fax: 940-898-2611
Web: http://twu.edu/~s_perlow/
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