Table of contents:
Learning Activity 2.C: Language
Objective: To explore how language manifests cultural attitudes to disability, in an African development context.
In small groups, discuss the following questions:
- How do the terms used to describe various disabilities in your language reflect people’s attitudes to disability and persons with disabilities?
- How do these terms refer differently to women and men, and if they do not, why?
- How does this language reflect the older models of disability (for example, the medical or charity models)? How does it support and maintain these older models?
- How does this language reflect positive approaches? How does it support and maintain positive attitudes?
- How does such language affect persons with disabilities?
- What can be done to alter negative or stereotypical language?
This activity should take approximately 30 minutes.