- Conference
- 2024 National Disabled Members' Conference
- Date
- 4 July 2024
- Decision
- Carried
At a time where there are over 14 million disabled people in the United Kingdom, and with the impact of recent events increasing these numbers due to long Covid, it is time conference for us to challenge the perception of disability being seen as a bad word.
For many non-disabled people there is often the fear of causing offence in using the words “disabled” or “disability” and they will substitute these with words such as “special needs”, “physically challenged” or “differently-abled”. While language does evolve over time and vocabulary changes to present as more inclusive, this in effect backs up the stigma of the words disabled and disability as if they are something that should not be said and negates the identity of disabled people.
Being disabled is not offensive, nor something to be ashamed of, and in a population where many more millions of people may end up disabled through aging, accident or illness, we, as a union, need to promote the identity of disabled people as worthy, functioning, and capable members of society who often, with the support of reasonable adjustments, are able to lead fulfilling lives both personally and within the workplace.
Conference, disabled adults need to be seen as positive role models so that disabled children can have goals and aspirations, alongside their non-disabled peers, and by reclaiming the words disabled and disability we confront and challenge the negative connotations that many people associate with these words.
Of course, conference, disabled people do have the choice of how they want to be addressed and there may be some who prefer to not be known as disabled, but in these instances, this should be down to the individual choice of the disabled person and not decided by non-disabled people who believe that they are promoting equality with the use of “differently-abled”
This motion therefore requests conference, that where ever possible, throughout the union, from the presidential team, to national committees, regional committees, branches and self-organised groups, we continue to promote disabled people as valued members of the union, as positive role models and that we endeavour to use the words disabled and disability as positive vocabulary and not exchange them for other patronising labels.
Conference asks
1)NDMC to work to raise the profile of Disabled Members in the Union.
2)NDMC to Work with all sections of the union to explore how the participation of disabled member can be increased.