Wheelchair terms

Terms used by the media, that I don't find accurate!

Media like to use the terms wheelchair bound and disabled person, which are understandable by everyone. As a wheelchair user I find these terms very uncomfortable, and here’s why:

Wheelchair bound implies that you are, literally, bound to your wheelchair. Okay I can’t walk and need my wheelchair to get around: but I can transfer to a more comfortable chair, stand in an Oswestry frame for an hour a day and transfer to a bed to sleep. I much prefer wheelchair user.

Disabled person is actually very descriptive (I am disabled and I am a person), but I prefer to put the person before the disability, the person is more important than the disability. So to me person with a disability is much kinder.

These are only my opinions and do not appear in any style guide, but if these terms were to appear in any text I would always raise a query.

What our clients think about Devon Proofreading

He understood that I am dyslexic so was able to suggest appropriate adjustments where I had made grammatical errors, or something hadn’t made sense wi

Anya Charnaud - ANC Therapy

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