I don't want to re-open a can of worms here, but remember the recent conversation about ableist language?

I know this is something I have to decide for myself, but as I read blogs by (mostly) women with disabilities, I'm increasingly thrown for a loop as word after word gets called out as an ableist word.

Such as "intelligence." Really??? I don't get that one. Even reading that whole entry, I don't get it. Or perhaps what I mean is that I don't agree with it. But then I don't know to what degree my lack of agreement is clinging to my privilege.

I just don't know.

I know this is something I have to decide for myself, but as I read blogs by (mostly) women with disabilities, I'm increasingly thrown for a loop as word after word gets called out as an ableist word.

As I worked through it in my discussion with smonster I think it's counterproductive to follow every logical parallel to an offensive phrase to its conclusion. I think that curbing the language use needs to be in response to specific instances of objection, and shouldn't be a broadly generalized principle.

Her specific gripe seems to be with the politics of intelligence testing.

If a person can't have a disability and be snobbish about her intellectual gifts, the terrorists have won, Teppy. But I confound nearly every educational theorist who's ever met me anyway.Because I'm both Gifted and LD.(maybe a lot of people are?) but testers are always flummoxed.

If a person can't have a disability and be snobbish about her intellectual gifts, the terrorists have won, Teppy. But I confound nearly every educational theorist who's ever met me anyway.Because I'm both Gifted and LD.(maybe a lot of people are?) but testers are always flummoxed.

Bwah! Yes, I would be more offended with the automatic assumption that one cannot be both disabled and intelligent. An assumption I have encountered more than once.

Yeah, I remember reading that post, and definitely disagreed with it. She's right about how intelligence testing has been used, but I don't think that's a reason to throw out the entire concept altogether.

She's right about how intelligence testing has been used, but I don't think that's a reason to throw out the entire concept altogether.

Yes - there's a HUGE difference between saying "IQ tests are flawed and have been used to justify all sort of horrific racism/etc" and saying "No human being is more or less intelligent than any other human being," and she seems to be conflating the two in a big way.

[eta: And while I can see where she's coming from with the "let's stop testing intelligence and just teach everyone everything" stuff, I'd be pretty fucking uncomfortable in a world where that line of thinking extended to, say, medical school.]

Also, people seem to ascribe a lot to physical functioning, which I know I'm not good at. I've told people my functional limitations and been told "But you're so smart..." hello? different parts of brain. Yes, I think it's freaky too. But here we are. Basically, I'm wired like a Fiat. Only Tony took one look and decided he's not a miracle worker and they don't pay enough anyway so... Jessica, yes. You don't want me in engineering...you just don't.my proportions are all off and I count on my fingers sometimes. Am I as smart as an engineer? Sometimes, sometimes not.

Seems like most of my weekend has been kidnapped by homework (frankly, I somewhat fast forwarded the past hour of even more articles) and house chores.

Please send help, and/or a time machine.

I was just now invited to a birthday party on Monday for a friend who is going to be in from England for Thanksgiving. It's too late to order pounds for a gift, and I don't want to get her anything that will take up too much room in her luggage. Does anyone have any ideas?