While I really find this article valuable, I am hesitant to share it with my friends who have epilepsy. The reason being, when you use "an epileptic" or "the epileptic", it segregates those with epilepsy into a crowd of their own, as if they are a subset of humanity. This is not true. That's what the new "people first" mantra is all about. Our health conditions only make up a small portion of our identities. It sounds wrong to use that as a way to identify people entirely. Let's define them as people firs! Please use the term "people/individuals/person with epilepsy" whenever possible. It is more supportive, uplifting, and humanizing :) Thanks!
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While I really find this article valuable, I am hesitant to share it with my friends who have epilepsy. The reason being, when you use "an epileptic" or "the epileptic", it segregates those with epilepsy into a crowd of their own, as if they are a subset of humanity. This is not true. That's what the new "people first" mantra is all about. Our health conditions only make up a small portion of our identities. It sounds wrong to use that as a way to identify people entirely. Let's define them as people firs! Please use the term "people/individuals/person with epilepsy" whenever possible. It is more supportive, uplifting, and humanizing :) Thanks!
July 12, 2011 - 11:23amThis Comment
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