“Differently abled” is a term used to describe individuals with physical or mental impairments, emphasizing their abilities rather than their disabilities. It originated in the US in the mid-1980s as a more politically correct term. However, some still view it as stigmatizing and separating individuals from the “enabled” population. The controversy highlights the negative connotations associated with disability and the difficulty in finding a term that is not perceived negatively.
Differently abled is a euphemistic term for someone who may previously have been classified as disabled, handicapped, challenged, or with special needs. It can apply to people with predominantly physical or mental problems. The description is thought to be more politically correct in some quarters because it recognizes that even though people have mental and/or physical disabilities, they still have abilities, contrary to the picture painted with the terms disabled or handicapped.
Currently, “differently abled” is used most in the United States, where the term originated in the mid-1980s or early 1990s. This description was generated during a time when many people were attempting to contribute and create much more politically correct language. The initial use of this term is typically attributed to US Democratic politicians, who were looking for a way to address the issues of people with mental or physical impairments without stigmatizing this group.
The transition from handicapped or disabled to otherwise abled attempts to see more clearly the gifts and full personality of an individual. Certainly the disabled are not incapable. There are many ways people compensate for a reduction in abilities, and those with these reductions may have special strengths that surpass those of the general population. Examples are special Olympians, autistics with skeletal abilities, individuals with bipolar disorder with exceptional creativity, and people with Down syndrome who have endearing personalities and high spirits.
A person does not have to have special abilities to fit into the disabled class. At its core, this term simply means that these individuals do things in ways different from what is expected of the general “skilled” population. It is a departure from what is normally expected without implied criticism.
Despite the intent, the term, differently abled, is still viewed with some disdain by people who might receive this label and by others. It still separates these individuals from the “enabled” population and portrays them as different. Just like the handicapped, special, or disabled, it is associated with a certain amount of negativity. The label would likely insult a person who doesn’t have a disability.
The understanding that it’s easier not to have disabilities and that most people don’t want them is at the heart of this controversy. Disability is not desired, even with a more positive spin on the definition of this status and the recognition that disabled individuals can achieve a lot. There is an implicit negativity and fear about disability that colors every term that describes people with challenges.
Also, when people are separated in a group by their disability or disability status, they are different from others. Part of their personality is still denied and they become a marginal group or demographic separate from “most other people”. It is difficult to know if there is a better term that is ultimately not perceived negatively by those who have or are describing people with disabilities.
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