As a committed ally to the community of people with disabilities, I believe language matters. That’s why your personal essay made me uncomfortable. I’m particularly offended by your use of the term ********. You may not know this, but ******** is a harmful slur — and more importantly, it is not person-first language.
Person-first language emphasizes the human being behind the disgusting disability. For example, “deaf person” should be “person who lives with hearing loss,” “Crazypants McGee” should be “person who doesn’t belong at the library,” and “********” should be “person who is a ********.”
That small linguistic shift reminds us that behind every demeaning stereotype is an entire human being to dehumanize. It’s about humanity! It’s about dignity!
Of course, some people with disabilities claim to prefer identity-first language, such as “disabled person” or “irritated disabled person.” It’s important to listen carefully to these preferences before explaining why those people with irritation are incorrect.