Good news! I know some will be happy to hear this; as of today, no more rants about how to speak good English! I realize that I am not going to change anything about how others speak. Most people tend to talk like the people we see in public, like entertainers, politicians, television celebrities and other public figures. So, go ahead, those of you who need this, and ruin your life by appearing ignorant of how to speak correctly. Remember, you cannot make a good impression on someone who is interviewing for a job, entrance to a school, or any other reason if you mispronounce words or use incorrect ways of saying things. So there you are. I am minding my own business from now on about how y’all talk.

Don’t worry though, we will still have plenty of pet peeves to talk about. You can share yours by contacting me at burnsmybiscuit@gmail.com.

Today we are talking about things that people with disabilities do not want to hear. Let’s start with “wheelchair bound.” Those with disabilities say they are NOT bound by their wheelchairs. It is a device that allows them freedom to move about and do things they could never do without the chair. They say it is better to say, “he or she USES a wheelchair.”

People say that people with disabilities who accomplish extraordinary things are “heros.” We all do extraordinary things. Are we called heros? Only if we save a life or lay down our own for someone else. No one is a hero if they are doing what others without disabilities are doing, which may be climbing a mountain, bowling a perfect score, or graduating from college. These things are great accomplishments but do not put anyone in the Hero category.

Are you an “inspiration” when you do something that you do every day? It may take a person with a disability a little longer to get to their goals, but an inspiration? More like an everyday person doing what they aspire to do, which is all any of us want. Once again, television is the culprit, reporting that the young man with Down Syndrome owns his own business or the young lady who uses a wheelchair skis down the biggest mountain is inspirational. The caption often says, “If they can do it, so can you.” This is saying that those with disabilities are somehow less than those who are not disabled and are accomplishing the “impossible.” Most people with disabilities resent these words: wheelchair bound, overcoming disability, suffers from, defying the odds, and inspirational. Political correctness is not the case here. The point is to help those without disabilities understand that some things they assume about those with disabilities is simply not true.

Another word is “brave.” When a person with a disability dares to move forward with ideas and deeds, he is doing what the rest of us do. We need to give them the chance to do what everyone else does without labeling them. We don’t label ourselves brave when we move ahead in life. Someone who is brave rescues me from a bear or saves someone from a burning building. Brave does not describe anyone who is doing everyday things that the rest of us do.

“He may be 29, but he is like a little child” is often used to describe someone with a cognitive disability. He may take longer to learn some things, but in all other ways, he is a man, with manly instincts and the sooner others respect that, the better off we will all be. We become what we are expected to be and if we treat someone like a child all of their lives, then they will be. That’s another story, though and we will discuss it in a later column.

If this interests you, look up Abilities.com and read some of the articles on what people with disabilities do and do not want. Also, articles by Deborah Davis at PUSHLiving,com may be helpful.

You are in my prayers

E.J.