When to call a spade a spade

INTERNATIONAL Day of Persons with Disabilities, which was celebrated on Dec 3, reminds us to encourage the active involvement of persons with disabilities in discussing issues that concern them. One way of doing this is to show respect through the way we address them or, in other words, honour the way they prefer to be called.

As a group of linguists with an interest in disability-related research, we are humbled by what we have learned from talking to persons with disabilities, their family members/carers, administrators at support centres as well as policymakers.