Unfortunately, even faculty educated to teach students with disabilities may lack experiential preparedness. As a result, disabled persons may feel misunderstood in educational settings and be negatively affected by teacher perceptions about disability. Viewing each student as a person begins with self-awareness of personal biases and assumptions about disability. Historically, our language and media images surrounding disability have evoked sympathy, pity, or horror. We see a person using a wheelchair and assume cognitive impairment in addition to physical disability.
Stereotypical language promotes exclusion, devaluation, and notions of incompetence.
Peter uses a wheelchair or is a wheelchair user. These differences in choice of language are often subtle and may appear insignificant. However, disability rights advocates emphasize the power of language to shape societal attitudes toward members of social and cultural groups that have been devalued. Don't assume that you understand disability. I have speed bumps, doors and windows, all those different types of metaphors.