I kind of feel the euphemism treadmill is the language version of “looking away”.
Blind is stark; powerful; forces me to contemplate the lack of vision - I can’t escape it.
But if I start using “visually challenged” then it’s softer, sounds like a game, challenges can be overcome, this isn’t something I need to worry about.
Re:The moral case against equity language
by GartzenDeHaes on Friday March 03, 2023 @10:54AM
(#35011213)
George Carlin has a great bit on euphemisms https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isMm2vF4uFs
> When I had that injury, and was kind of crip-walking, people would intuitively stare at me for a second, then -very obviously- force themselves to look away.
> The injury wasn't that bad and went away after a week or two. But the way people forced themselves to look away, was much worse. I can't imagine dealing with that every day.
Having experienced this, I personally find that what's worse is the way people look at me in the first place. It's not as simple as someone looking at me, I can _see_ on their face or in their eyes or ... what's going through their mind, before they reassert control and hide it again.
In school, children get taught that when someone looks disabled, you shouldn't look at them, because staring at them is some kind of discrimination or so. I couldn't disagree more.
When I had that injury, and was kind of crip-walking, people would intuitively stare at me for a second, then -very obviously- force themselves to look away.
The injury wasn't that bad and went away after a week or two. But the way people forced themselves to look away, was much worse. I can't imagine dealing with that every day.
I'd argue that the people who make up these kind of "rules" probably aren't themselves affected by it.