I think people who have some form of physical problem shouldn't be called disabled but physically challenged. I think it sounds more politically correct.

Welcome Tim...

I hate "physically challenged" because it makes it sound like there is a content that I have to win. I also for the most part think that politically correctness is for the birds, call a short person short, an ugly baby and ugly baby and a person such as myself disabled... I am okay with it.

Mobility Impaired is better if you feel you need to be politically correct...

But welcome!

I agree with Mark, although there hasn't yet been an international caucus of people with disabilties to decide what term works for everyone.

Welcome to the group!!

Michelle
Chair, IGDA Game Accessibility Group

I've always loved the term crippled. Seriously, enough with being politically correct. As if a series of words is going to emotionally scar me for life.

Oh......'waves' Welcome!

I have to say I agree with the others. My personal view is that PC is pure BS, and I tend to call people on it when I hear it being used. A good experiment I ask people to try if they insist they are being respectful by trying to be politically correct is this, go ask a few people with visible disabilities how they feel about the word "specal". Fair warning, you might get slapped.

Ok, rant off. This is my first post here, but I am a psychology graduate student and have seen a some of my clients have to work through their problems with people who said something while trying to be politically correct and it kind of sets me off because of my own experiences.

Talk about an intro

Chris

Since presumably the objective is to make the person you are talking to comfortable, the logical term to use is whatever makes them comfortable, not whatever makes yourself comfortable.

With respect to one situation, when I was first starting work with people who are blind, Brian Charlson, who's done a lot of work there, and is blind, suggested "people who are blind" rather than "the blind" or "blind people"

I forget what term he used for that kind of phrase, but it seems less likely than the other phrases to imply that the recipient is limited, or diminished in some way.

In any event, it seems to me that the issue is a lot like speaking in a foreign country. If you show that your intentions are well meaning, then you've done the right thing.

BTW. We try to do this in the content of our computer games and related marketing literature.

John Bannick
CTO
7-128 Software

Personally, I really dont care what you choose to call me. I know some people do care so its always nice to try and take that into account when you can. We will never be able to please everyone but I would hope that people see my intent (which is good) and then judge my choice of words accordingly.

I dont care what you call me - just dont call me late to dinner. hehe

Rather than what is "ok". How about what isn't. Are there terms you, yourself, take as derogatory, even if sometimes they may not be meant that way? Not to be Politically Correct or not, but are there terms that should be avoided in conversation, possibly due to misinterpretation or misuse?

Good question Mr 91.

I do not like the term freak, I also do not like the term gimp, unless of course it is my night to wear the mask, then I am okay with gimp...

Really, all joking aside, I do not care what you call me, I care about the tone you use when you say it. As my mom always said, it is not what you say, but how you say it, and if someone is doing the best they can, I do not care...

All in all, call me Mark...

actually, I call you chief

I agree that whatever name you use really does not matter. On the flipside, when people use the term crippled that term does bother me. Actually I'm not even really sure why the term bothers me what it does. The rest of the terms really are just words I truly believe in the whole a rose by any other name blah blah.

There's always two sides to every story. Everybody will always have a word they don't like. The problem in politically correct is somebody always has a problem with every word that anybody can come up with no matter what that word is means or might mean.