Tug o’ War

The language you use can pull you in a number of different ways.

One of the key challenges we face in the media team is trying to translate the language of someone from inside the organisation, who lives and breathes a Scope service into language that someone who has no previous knowledge of disability can understand.

The world of disability is without doubt a complex one and virtually comes with its own lexicon. Developments and progress in the disability movement as well as a greater understanding of the issues affecting disabled people mean that language has evolved over time.

You would obviously expect the disability charities to be at the forefront of these language developments but its impossible for us to ignore the fact that the world outside is in a different place and whilst the appetite is there to use appropriate and respectful language it will take a while for people to catch us up.

It’s why for journalists we have Hacked Off: a journalist's guide to disability that includes tips on the language to use and what to avoid.

Until then it can sometimes feel like you’re the marker within a giant game of tug of war, constantly fluctuating between the language we use internally to what’s used in the outside world.