Looking More Specifically At Language
Impairments: Impairments are the physiological glitches which hamper one or more basic life functions. These include physical, sensory, mental, and emotional difficulties. This word is most closely associated with medical aspects of the experiencing of human vulnerability.
Handicaps: The word “handicapped” was used in past legislation. Currently it is used to describe the relationship between one who has an impairment and the environmental features which hamper function.
“I have an impairment.”
- “It is a medical condition which hampers my vision or hearing, my mobility or my comprehension.”
“I have a disability.”
- “I have some difficulty seeing or hearing, moving my body or understanding everything quickly and clearly.”
“I am handicapped.”
- “There is no braille agenda, therefore I am handicapped by those who planned this meeting.”
- “There is no ramp into this building, therefore I am handicapped in my attempts to worship.”
- “There is no assistant to help me read all these signs, therefore I am handicapped in finding my way to the classroom.”
- “There is no captioning for this videotape, therefore I am handicapped in sharing in my parish's adult education program."
