Disabled Person Offends Rutland Disability Group
I have moved this photograph from the post for Rutland Disability Awareness Day.
The word spastic is used differently depending on the geographic location of its use and the version of the English language in use there, which has led to some controversy and misunderstanding of the nature and appropriateness of the word. Derived via Latin from the Greek spastikos ("drawing in" or "tugging"), the word at its root still refers to an alteration in muscle tone affected by the medical condition spasticity, which is seen in spastic diplegia and many other forms of cerebral palsy and also in terms such as "spastic colon". In this usage, which is still today the word's main environment, the word spastic has absolutely no negative connotations, because it is accurately descriptive of the condition. In India, 'The Spastics Society of India' (now known as 'ADAPT - Able Disable All People Together'), a non-profit and non-governmental organization, kept its name for many years without being criticised.
Colloquially, the word spastic can be, but is not necessarily, pejorative; largely this depends on whether one understands the word as it is used in the United States or the United Kingdom. In British English today the mention of the word spastic is typically extremely inappropriate, as in the UK it is considered an offensive way to refer to disabled people
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spastic
The medical term “spastic” became used to describe cerebral palsy.[citation needed] The Spastics Society, a UK charity for people with cerebral palsy, was founded in 1951.
However, the word began to be used as an insult and became a term of abuse used to imply stupidity or physical ineptness: one who is uncoordinated or incompetent, or a fool.[3] It was often colloquially abbreviated to shorter forms such as "spaz".
Its derogatory use grew considerably in the 1980s.[citation needed] This is sometimes attributed to the BBC children’s show Blue Peter. During the International Year of Disabled Persons (1981), several episodes featured a man with cerebral palsy (described as a "spastic") named Joey Deacon. Phrases such as "joey", "deacon", and "spaz" became widely-used insults amongst children at that time.[4]
The Spastics Society changed its name to Scope in 1994. The words then gradually dropped out of common usage as they came to be regarded as offensive.[citation needed]
The current understanding of the word is well-illustrated by a BBC survey in 2003, which found that "spastic" was the second most offensive term in the UK relating to disability (retard was deemed most offensive).[2] In 2007, Lynne Murphy, a linguist at the University of Sussex, described the term as being "one of the most taboo insults to a British ear".[1]
I have moved this photograph from the post for Rutland Disability Awareness Day.
@OakhamUK could you possibly delete the picture with the word spastic from those taken today?
— RPCV (@RPCVOICE) August 23, 2014
@OakhamUK could you possibly delete the picture with the word spastic from those taken today?
The word spastic is used differently depending on the geographic location of its use and the version of the English language in use there, which has led to some controversy and misunderstanding of the nature and appropriateness of the word. Derived via Latin from the Greek spastikos ("drawing in" or "tugging"), the word at its root still refers to an alteration in muscle tone affected by the medical condition spasticity, which is seen in spastic diplegia and many other forms of cerebral palsy and also in terms such as "spastic colon". In this usage, which is still today the word's main environment, the word spastic has absolutely no negative connotations, because it is accurately descriptive of the condition. In India, 'The Spastics Society of India' (now known as 'ADAPT - Able Disable All People Together'), a non-profit and non-governmental organization, kept its name for many years without being criticised.
Colloquially, the word spastic can be, but is not necessarily, pejorative; largely this depends on whether one understands the word as it is used in the United States or the United Kingdom. In British English today the mention of the word spastic is typically extremely inappropriate, as in the UK it is considered an offensive way to refer to disabled people
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spastic
The medical term “spastic” became used to describe cerebral palsy.[citation needed] The Spastics Society, a UK charity for people with cerebral palsy, was founded in 1951.
However, the word began to be used as an insult and became a term of abuse used to imply stupidity or physical ineptness: one who is uncoordinated or incompetent, or a fool.[3] It was often colloquially abbreviated to shorter forms such as "spaz".
Its derogatory use grew considerably in the 1980s.[citation needed] This is sometimes attributed to the BBC children’s show Blue Peter. During the International Year of Disabled Persons (1981), several episodes featured a man with cerebral palsy (described as a "spastic") named Joey Deacon. Phrases such as "joey", "deacon", and "spaz" became widely-used insults amongst children at that time.[4]
The Spastics Society changed its name to Scope in 1994. The words then gradually dropped out of common usage as they came to be regarded as offensive.[citation needed]
The current understanding of the word is well-illustrated by a BBC survey in 2003, which found that "spastic" was the second most offensive term in the UK relating to disability (retard was deemed most offensive).[2] In 2007, Lynne Murphy, a linguist at the University of Sussex, described the term as being "one of the most taboo insults to a British ear".[1]
