First persons put persons first

Published in the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine Newsletter, April 1997

I remember as a child learning about nouns, pronouns, verbs and objects. One of the easiest things for me to understand was the adjective.

Adjectives, used to describe persons, places or things, to me were very tangible, easy to understand.

When we talked about a “red car,” I could easily visualize the colour red and then fit a car into that framework. When we talked about a “sunny day,” I quickly visualized a clear blue sky and bright sunshine that would make me squint. When we talked about a “bubbling brook,” I could imagine bubbles forming and bursting in a clear stream or creek.

What I have realized since those early years is that adjectives have great power to influence a listener’s or a reader’s impression of the noun which it describes. A noun without an adjective can be interpreted in many ways, but a noun with an adjective has a much more narrow interpretation. The word “car” conjures up many things to many people, while “red car” imposes limitations on our understanding. 

Similarly, when talking about people, adjectives wield great power and influence. The choice of adjective used to describe a person can greatly influence a listener’s or a reader’s perception of that person.  

The position in which the adjective is placed has even more influence. The description of a “charming adolescent” influences us to first perceive the person as a happy, delightful person before we consider her or his age. This does not cause any harm.  

However, as soon as negative terms are placed before the person, perceptions turn to judgments, and the person, as a person, becomes secondary to the judgment. A “disabled person” is judged to be “not able” before he is seen as a person. The term “special needs child” places the emphasis on the needs of the child before the child herself.  

The message here is that the person is less important than only one aspect of that person. The focus on the description first colours our perception of that person and then disallows our seeing the person as a person first – a person with many traits, capacities and idiosyncrasies who just happens to have a disability or special need.

 From my perspective as a parent, there is danger in using “person-last” language when talking about people who have disabilities, diagnoses or special needs of any kind. The danger lies in our influencing attitudes about people that is akin to promoting judgments that are negative, demeaning, condescending and even prejudicial.  

We must advocate for placing people first. The “disabled person” is not a dis-abled person; he is a person who just happens to have a disability. The “special needs child” is a child who has many individual characteristics, one of which just happens to include a “special need.” 

People (such as service providers, politicians, media, educators, parents and self-advocates) who are in a position to become role models for others must take advantage of their many opportunities to promote “person-first” language. Language that promotes consideration of people first and traits second can only help to promote acceptance and inclusion of individuals who have special needs in the global community.