Call them “differently abled”, not “disabled”

We make the common mistake of calling a person with disabilities a "disabled person". When we call someone "disabled", we focus on their impairments rather than their abilities. They may not be completely disabled, and yet we imply that they are unable to do anything at all. We thus marginalise them.

People with disabilities are as much a part of our society as anyone else. They have the right to live with dignity. They should not be discriminated against. The government and other non-governmental authorities should invest in proper training and management for them to be able to use their talents for a living. But the first step is to not call them by a derogatory name.

Ariful Islam Anu

University of Barishal