1. Disability and use of
appropriate language in
educational settings
2013 MATE Conference
Marrakech
Dr. Paul Lynch
Monday 28 January 2013

2. The Parable of the Blind Leading
the Blind by Pieter Bruegel, 1568

3. The Cripples – Bruegel 1569

4. ‘Institute of Defectology’
(1930s) – Lev Vygotsky
 The philosophy of the
Russian teams always
focuses on ‘correcting' the
child to make him of her
"normal" rather than
assisting with his or her
functional limitation in
adapting to the environment
or adapting the environment
to make it accessible to the
child with a disability.

5. The Cripples – L.S. Lowry 1949

6. Oscar Pistorius makes
Olympic history in 400m at
London 2012

7. World Health Organisation
1980 Version - ICIDH 2001 Version - ICF
Manual of classification International
relating to the Classification of
consequences of disease’ Functioning, Disability
(and injuries and other and Health relating to
‘disorders’) ‘ability’ and ‘performance’
 Impairments,
 Disabilities
 Handicaps
‘

8. Models of disability
Medical model Social model
 Person is ‘suffering’ from  Society - main
an illness/disability contributory factor in
 Body condition will disabling people
reduce ‘quality of life’  Remove barriers that
 Focuses on limitations disable by making
 Find ways to adapt to the adjustments
environment  Difference is celebrated
 Need for compassion

9. Language around ‘Disability’
Unacceptable language More acceptable language
 Cripple  Physical disabilities
 Handicap  Learning disabilities
 Spastic (medical)
 Physically challenged  Learning difficulties
 Mentally challenged
(education)
 Sensory impairment
 Retardation (acceptable
– Visual impairment
in USA)
– Hearing impairment
 Unfortunate child
– deafblind

10. Encouraging positive language
around the school
 School policy – anti-bullying
 Discussion on what is acceptable and
unacceptable language in the classroom as
part of language lesson
 People who are blind experience the world
differently but can be equally fulfilling
 Ways of celebrating difference

11. Thank you
Paul Lynch
School of
Education
University of
Birmingham
p.lynch@bham.ac.uk