[Vision2020] PC When it Comes to a Disability

[Timothy Rigsby]

Donovan:

Again I am going to disagree with you on the "labeling" of special populations.

Individuals with disabilities (IWD) may not like to be refered to as the person in the
wheel chair, but when describing an IWD in an IEP, that person is described 99.9% of the
time by their disability.  Yes, it is far better to call someone by their birth name
however, when it comes to planning and implementing programs for an IWD, they are 
pretty much always refered to as the student with a hearing impairment or the student
with a visual impairment.  

So to answer your claim that it is inapropriate to refer to and IWD by their 
disability, I think you may want to pay more attention in your special ed classes.

Lets take a look at these different disabilities and you tell me which sounds better:

The deaf student OR The student with a hearing impairment
The blind student OR The student with a visual impairment
The slow student OR The student with a cognitive disorder
The hyper student OR The student with ADHD
The leg-less student OR The student who is wheelchair bound

These are just a few examples of what is acceptable in Special Education circles to 
describe IWD students.

But what do I know, I play kickball!