Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Advocating for people with disabilities: People First Language

Leonard Wang
Education
July 23, 2021
11 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

You are more likely to be struck by lightning than be born with cri du chat syndrome and OCD. The chances of becoming a performer with these diagnoses are even smaller, and yet, what a show Tanner performed.

His performance is meticulously planned out. Pump soap dispenser twice. Rub hands three times. Wash quickly. Create bubble! As the first bubble emerges, the kids take notice.

Pushing her wheelchair forward, Maria pops the enormous bubble; momentarily ignoring the discomfort of his limp, Peter eagerly chases it. I stand on the sidelines, encouraging Tanner. I am where I want to be: an environment where disabilities are embraced, not ridiculed; where the lightning strike is seen as lucky, not unlucky.

I discovered Children’s Association for Maximum Potential (CAMP) in 2016. The first time I attended CAMP, my camper was a boy who is nonverbal and diagnosed with moderate ASD. It has been five years, and to this day, I still have scars on my arms from his more aggressive behaviors. Despite all of this, I continue to go back each summer. An important aspect of CAMP’s mission that resonates with me is promoting acceptance and inclusion. For one week out of the year, children with disabilities are encouraged to be themselves. The opportunity to be a part of an empowering community is what brings me back to CAMP each year.

One lasting impact from CAMP has been my adoption of “People First Language.” The idea is to always put a person before his or her diagnosis, but in the case that a diagnosis is mentioned, one will always say, for example, “a person with autism” and never “an autistic person.” In doing so, the person comes before the diagnosis, and it reaffirms that a diagnosis does not precede any other qualities of an individual. By recognizing the person—rather than the disability—first, People First Language is a method of communication that reflects knowledge and respect for people with disabilities. A choice as simple as how to order your words demonstrates sensitivity while working to eliminate prejudicial vernacular. Choosing to use People First Language is the first step towards advocating for people with disabilities.

My experiences at CAMP revealed the shocking healthcare disparities that afflict people in the state of Texas, especially those with special needs. I discovered that many of my campers’ families struggle to access adequate healthcare for their child, and a number of them can barely make ends meet with expensive therapies and medications. Witnessing the struggles of these families reinforces my determination to become a doctor for those marginalized by our healthcare system. The people who had once been anonymous in their suffering are now a significant part of my community.

As I start medical school this summer, I’m reminded of the reasons that brought me here. Tanner. Sal. Wyatt. Michael. Lucian. Gavin. These individuals hold a special place in my heart and fuel my drive to become a doctor. Starting in college, I’ve kept a picture wall of my favorite memories from CAMP above my desk. To this day, I find myself repeating Tanner’s bubble-making process whenever I wash my hands. CAMP gave me a community, but the people in that community helped me find myself. Let’s make sure our language respects all people, regardless of any disability.

Leonard Wang is a medical student.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Is Open Notes as good in practice as it is in theory?

July 23, 2021 Kevin 1
…
Next

The horror of keeping a loved one alive at all costs

July 23, 2021 Kevin 5
…

Tagged as: Medical school

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Is Open Notes as good in practice as it is in theory?
Next Post >
The horror of keeping a loved one alive at all costs

More by Leonard Wang

  • My high school was harder than my first year of medical school

    Leonard Wang
  • Osler and the doctor-patient relationship

    Leonard Wang
  • Climate change is a public health crisis: a look into the Pacific Northwest heatwave

    Leonard Wang

Related Posts

  • Want to improve telehealth? Ask people with disabilities.

    Christina Khou, PhD and Colleen Stiles-Shields, PhD
  • My people are dying. My country is burning. And I’m stuck in the medical education system.

    Elexus-Ember Carroll
  • The questions people ask medical students

    Menachem Gurevitz, DO
  • Should we encourage people to go into medicine?

    Millennial Doctor, MD
  • Why do people hate Obamacare?

    Julie Rovner
  • People who take opioids are the AIDS patients of today

    Heather Finlay-Morreale, MD

More in Education

  • Improving medical specialty selection with pre-training examinations

    Deepak Gupta, MD and Sarwan Kumar, MD
  • The erosion of compassion in medicine

    Daniel Luger, MD
  • Decoding doctor designations: the crucial need to ditch the “provider” label

    Austin Miller
  • September in medicine: scouting season for future doctors

    Stephen J. Foley
  • From medical humanities student to physician

    Nicholas Bellacicco, DO
  • How Tratak yoga reshaped my USMLE Step 2 prep

    Dr. Nikita Mehdiratta
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Pain medicine realities: beyond the opioid crisis

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD and Stephen E. Nadeau, MD | Conditions
    • There’s no place for “benevolent deception” in obstetrics

      Megan Nix | Conditions
    • Drug prices and fast approvals can harm patients

      Martha Rosenberg | Meds
    • Protecting your health from environmental threats [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • In the crosshairs: The False Claims Act’s new targets in health care

      Scott Ellner, DO, MPH | Policy
    • Navigating the evidence-practice gap in concussion care

      Sohaib Kureshi, MD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medicare coverage saves lives. Enrolling shouldn’t be this complicated.

      Catherine L. Chen, MD, MPH | Physician
    • Gaza’s medical crisis

      Tammy Abughnaim, MD and Emily Hacker, MPH | Physician
    • Antisemitism is at a historic high not just in other countries, but right here in America

      Joshua D. Lenchus, DO | Physician
    • Emergency department burnout: a cry for change

      Anonymous | Conditions
    • Medicine has become the new McDonald’s of health care

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Policy
    • Rising nurse practitioner burnout: charting and work-life balance

      Erica Dorn, FNP | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • Protecting your health from environmental threats [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Efficient staffing partners for health systems

      Patrick Dotts | Policy
    • 10 things to know about your doctor that will get you better care

      Dawn Sears, MD & Kim Downey, PT | Physician
    • Can generative artificial intelligence help clinicians better manage patient messages?

      Spencer D. Dorn, MD, MPH and Justin Norden, MD, MBA | Tech
    • New primary care decision support tools make offloading below-license tasks from the EHR more important than ever

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Tech
    • Physician burnout reimagined

      Claudia Finkelstein, MD | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 4 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Coronary Heart Disease by Age 45 Linked With Later Dementia
  • Progression Independent of Relapse Activity in Pediatric-Onset MS
  • Experts' Hopes for the Future of dMMR Uterine Cancer Treatment
  • Increased Mortality Risk for Young Adults on High Doses of Antipsychotics
  • U.S. Suicides Hit Record High; FDA Reviews Schizophrenia Drug; Psychology of Misinfo

Meeting Coverage

  • Experts' Hopes for the Future of dMMR Uterine Cancer Treatment
  • With an Old X-Ray, AI Can Detect High Risk of Lung Cancer in Never Smokers
  • New Data on Bimekizumab in Psoriatic Arthritis
  • Investigational Gene Tx Improves Diabetic Retinopathy Severity at 1 Year
  • Stronger Quads May Lower Risk for Knee Replacement Surgery
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Pain medicine realities: beyond the opioid crisis

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD and Stephen E. Nadeau, MD | Conditions
    • There’s no place for “benevolent deception” in obstetrics

      Megan Nix | Conditions
    • Drug prices and fast approvals can harm patients

      Martha Rosenberg | Meds
    • Protecting your health from environmental threats [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • In the crosshairs: The False Claims Act’s new targets in health care

      Scott Ellner, DO, MPH | Policy
    • Navigating the evidence-practice gap in concussion care

      Sohaib Kureshi, MD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medicare coverage saves lives. Enrolling shouldn’t be this complicated.

      Catherine L. Chen, MD, MPH | Physician
    • Gaza’s medical crisis

      Tammy Abughnaim, MD and Emily Hacker, MPH | Physician
    • Antisemitism is at a historic high not just in other countries, but right here in America

      Joshua D. Lenchus, DO | Physician
    • Emergency department burnout: a cry for change

      Anonymous | Conditions
    • Medicine has become the new McDonald’s of health care

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Policy
    • Rising nurse practitioner burnout: charting and work-life balance

      Erica Dorn, FNP | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • Protecting your health from environmental threats [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Efficient staffing partners for health systems

      Patrick Dotts | Policy
    • 10 things to know about your doctor that will get you better care

      Dawn Sears, MD & Kim Downey, PT | Physician
    • Can generative artificial intelligence help clinicians better manage patient messages?

      Spencer D. Dorn, MD, MPH and Justin Norden, MD, MBA | Tech
    • New primary care decision support tools make offloading below-license tasks from the EHR more important than ever

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Tech
    • Physician burnout reimagined

      Claudia Finkelstein, MD | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Advocating for people with disabilities: People First Language
4 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...