A Simple Rule ...

How about this for a "rule" to help people avoid saying things that annoy people with disabilities? …

Whenever you think you've hit on a very clever turn of phrase that you think will make a unique and positive statement about people with disabilities … forget it. Puns, creative spellings and syntax, reversals of meaning … they all sound great and wise and original in our heads, but they usually fall flat when spoken or written, and when the subject is disability-related, they are almost never original. As a person with disabilities, I guarantee you, whatever brilliant bon mot you thing you've come up with about disability, or some "new" way to be politically correct about it, we've heard it before, and we we are underwhelmed.

If you're going to say something about how you think about us or about disabilities, just say it normally. Don't try to be clever or super-insightful.

Thank you.