多样性的声明
选择以人为本的语言而不是身份优先
“Person-first” language describes someone as a person first and then attaches a neutral phrase designating disability. The phrase “people with disabilities” is an example of person-first language. “Identity-first” language foregrounds the disability and then attaches a label such as “person.” The identity-first version of “people with disabilities” is “disabled people.”
The current social consensus is that person-first language is preferable, 但这条规则也有很多例外. The goal of person-first language is to combat objectification by prioritizing peoples’ humanity. Many people who feel that their disabilities dictate their daily lives prefer identity-first language, 然而. These individuals say that disability forms such a key part of their identities that they want to foreground it, 不要把它当作次要的. Other disabled activists choose identity-first language because they want to subvert the popular assumption that disability is inherently negative and should be minimized.
Advocates of person-first language and identity-first language both generally use disability as a modifier: rather than referring to someone as “a schizophrenic,有人会说, “精神分裂症患者.“然而, some—but not all—people in the Autistic community choose to be identified as “an Autistic,” for reasons similar to those of people who embrace identity-first language.
避免使用贬义词
语言是不断变化的, and lists of words that are broadly considered offensive tend to reflect this evolution. 例如, 经过许多人多年的积极行动, the “r-word” has mostly disappeared from polite and professional contexts. 其他要避免使用的流行词汇包括“crazy”,”“残疾,”“盲,和“能力不同”.”
作为修辞学学者, 我们尽最大努力保持更新, not in order to condemn people for using certain words, but because we want to make all of our communication as kind and 虽然tful as possible. It takes time for people (including us) to learn that certain terms now have harmful connotations, especially if those terms have been widely used in the past. 然而, 一旦我们意识到某个词是有害的, we acknowledge our ongoing responsibility to stop using it, recognizing that this process can take time but is nevertheless important.
Rejecting the false narratives of tragedy porn and inspiration porn
As scholars of literature, we know the power of narratives. Two common narratives that have been harmful to people with disabilities are called “tragedy porn” and “inspiration porn.”
悲剧色情片关注的是一个人的痛苦, 疼痛, 和损失, often to the exclusion of other dimensions of the person’s character and experiences. While many people in the disability community have experienced suffering connected with their disabilities, 许多人也觉得他们的故事不是悲剧. Tragedy porn has often been used to objectify disabled people, 把他们当作情节剧的载体.
Inspiration porn, a term coined by activist Stella Young, can be similarly dehumanizing. Inspiration porn valorizes a person with a disability simply for living with a disability. Some disabilities do present major challenges to the individuals who have them. These challenges can cultivate character qualities such as perseverance, 聪明才智, 快乐, 和信仰, which are worthy of recognition and literary exploration. But inspiration porn leaves no room for a disabled person to be fallible. It reduces the person to an object whose job is to make everyone else feel or be better, 而不是认识到他们的全部人性.
采用多模式通信
In English, we study rhetoric in many forms, not just word-based text on a page. We recognize that different media present different rhetorical opportunities and constraints. We also know that not all forms of media can communicate the same message equally well to all people.
Good rhetorical 实践 means carefully tailoring one’s communication to meet the needs and desires of the intended audience.
Some people are better able to process auditory communication than visual, 例如, 反之亦然. 在可能的情况下, 我们选择以多种形式传达信息, 符合通用设计的原则. Making our texts accessible to everyone benefits all members of our audiences, 不论残疾状况如何.
Using clear language and avoiding unnecessary complexity
我们欣赏十四行诗的复杂, 隐喻的艺术性, 不常见词汇的细微差别, 等. Studying and interpreting these complexities is a central part of our work.
When we give instructions and other non-literary content, 然而, we often use plain language. “Plain language” is the 实践 of making text understandable for as many people as possible. It supports inclusion by reaching a broad range of people, including people with different verbal processing abilities and people for whom English is a second language.
When appropriate, we choose simple words instead of complicated ones. We remove content that adds nothing to what we have already said. We pay attention to the length and complexity of our sentences and paragraphs.
我们可能仍然会写冗长、密集的段落. 如果我们这样做了, 虽然, it is because we see a purpose for the complexity in those cases—a purpose that cannot be met with plainer language.
作为研究的人, 实践, 教写作, we continually strive to be as clear as possible in our work. 这是优秀写作技巧的一部分. 这也是我们如何拥抱的一部分 看台personalis 以及与读者的团结和亲密关系.