The ongoing debate about the people-first language (PFL) and languages in libraries indicate the sensitivity of the disability language in society. PFL is a way of communicating that places focus on the person rather than the disability. An example is saying “visually impaired” rather than “blind” or using “a person with crutches” and not the word “crippled.” On the other hand language in libraries refers to language preservation, representation, and diversity. This paper discusses why it is crucial to communicate using the people-first language.
The main reason for using PFL is to stress the importance and superiority of the person above the disability. This is important because it helps to disapprove the misconception that a person with a disability can only be defined by his/her limitation (Crocker & Smith, 2019); a person who is visually impaired may have other talents such as singing or playing musical instrument. Therefore, primarily referring to the person as disabled fails to acknowledge the individual’s other abilities.
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Another importance of using PFL is reducing stigma and hurt towards persons with disabilities (Crocker & Smith, 2019). Many people with disabilities are traumatized because they are constantly referred to as disabled. When society constantly addresses them in a manner indicating they are 'not normal', they start to believe the society and start developing low self-esteem. Using PFL reduces the trauma experienced by people with disabilities, thereby inspiring and creating well-deserved hope for them.
The use of PFL is important because it reduces marginalization and prejudice among persons with disabilities (Rubin, 2014). PFL creates awareness in society that persons with disabilities are not inferior to other humans because of their disabilities. This helps create a society with friendly conditions for everyone to exist.
On the other hand, the diversity of languages in the library is important because this eliminates the language barrier to information access. This makes it possible for library users to access any information in any language, anywhere in the world (Lazorchak, 2015). With increasing connectivity and the world becoming a global village, diversity in US libraries is crucial to ensure all people can access the information in their preferred languages.
Another importance of languages in libraries is that they act as points or references for the various languages (Rubin, 2014). The US libraries with information about different languages provide background information and facts about particular languages. Libraries in the US must continue adding to their foreign language collections for referencing purposes.
Languages in libraries are also important because they contribute to language preservation especially of the endangered languages on their foreign language collections (MoChridhe, 2019). It is, therefore, crucial to continue adding to the collection of the foreign language in US libraries to ensure the preservation of endangered languages.
In conclusion, the importance of people-first language communication to persons with disabilities draws more weight compared to languages in libraries despite both topics being important. The use of PFL is important because it reduces marginalization and prejudice among persons with disabilities by creating awareness in society that persons with disabilities are not inferior to other humans. Another importance of using PFL is reducing stigma and hurt towards persons with disabilities. The main reason for using PFL is to stress the importance and superiority of the person above the disability.
References
Crocker, A., & Smith, S. (2019). Person-First Language: Are We Practicing What We Preach?, (12), 125-129. https://doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S140067
MoChridhe, R. (2019). Libraries and Language Preservation: A Defining Generational Moment. Journal of New Librarianship . https://doi.org/doi.org/10.21173/newlibs/6/7
Rubin, V. (2014). How are your Libraries Dealing with Foreign Language Resources ? https://www.researchgate.net/post/How_is_your_libraries_dealing_with_foreign_language_resources_in_terms_of_information_organization_access_and_curation
