DEFINING DISABILITY

As a legal term and in common usage, ‘disability’ has been made to cover a wide range of very different conditions. Could the broadness of the term be counterproductive, or is it useful to treat many kinds of people under one label? “I much prefer the word ‘disability’ to the word ‘disabled’ as even though it is a broad definition I feel like it is one that is more accurate,” comments Flipbook Productions director Mohammed Hossain. “I feel like the word ‘disabled’ is a bit more demeaning, as technically it means you are not functioning, whereas to ‘have a disability’ still means that you can function and be the same person as it were. This was one of my campaigns at university.” Olivia White argues that while it’s important that people understand the difference between disabilities, the term ‘disability’ remains useful. “It’s blunt, up front, and it’s something that a lot of nondisabled people have tried to change over the years, deciding it’s ‘offensive’ and preferring things like ‘differently-abled’. This is nonsense. My disability is a disability. It’s a disadvantage. It holds me back. Pretending otherwise just prevents me from getting the support I need.”