The disability community is the largest minority group in our country. It includes people of both genders and from all religions, ethnic backgrounds, and socioeconomic levels. Unique to the disability community is that it's the only minority group that any American can join in the split second of an accident. The Disability Rights Movement is following in the footsteps of the Civil Rights Movement of the '60s and the Women's Movement of the '70s. While people with disabilities and advocates work to end discrimination and segregation in education, employment, and our communities at large, we must all work to end the prejudicial language that creates an invisible barrier to being included in the ordinary mainstream of life.
Disability is a natural condition of the human experience.
The real problem is attitudinal barriers. There have always been people with disabilities in our world and there always will be. Many people who do not now have a disability will have one in the future. Others will have a family member or friend who acquires a disability. First Language is a crucial issue.