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handicapped

English translation: challenged,disabled,special-needs

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:handicapped
Selected answer:challenged,disabled,special-needs
Entered by: OlafK

23:52 Jan 20, 2004
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
English term or phrase: handicapped
my question: Is this word still widely used along with "disabled"? I never hear or read it in the UK, here it's always "disabled" or, depending on context, "impaired". But on Google I got a lot of hits for "mentally/physically handicapped". I'm wondering if it's becoming obsolete.
OlafK
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:47
challenged or disabled
Explanation:
in Canada, anyway
one can be mentally challenged
or physically disabled, vs. able-bodied

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Note added at 4 mins (2004-01-20 23:56:38 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Having said that, in common parlance in Ontario, people refer to blue zones as \"handicapped parking\", and I\'ve seen signs like that in smaller towns, and this leads me to believe that although it is somewhat obsolete, as you say, in a small town with low budget people don\'t really see the need to pay to change their signs...
HTH
Selected response from:

NancyLynn
Canada
Local time: 15:47
Grading comment
thank you, you have all been very helpful but I can#t split points up
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +9challenged or disabled
NancyLynn
5 +6Depends on "social" context and region
kipruss3
5 +1special-needs
Sally van der Graaff
3 +1wheel-chair bound is another option depending on context
Jean-Luc Dumont
4 -3differently-abled
rene_teews


  

Answers


2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +9
challenged or disabled


Explanation:
in Canada, anyway
one can be mentally challenged
or physically disabled, vs. able-bodied

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 mins (2004-01-20 23:56:38 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Having said that, in common parlance in Ontario, people refer to blue zones as \"handicapped parking\", and I\'ve seen signs like that in smaller towns, and this leads me to believe that although it is somewhat obsolete, as you say, in a small town with low budget people don\'t really see the need to pay to change their signs...
HTH

NancyLynn
Canada
Local time: 15:47
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 473
Grading comment
thank you, you have all been very helpful but I can#t split points up

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  RHELLER
1 min
  -> thanks Rita ! :-)
agree  Iolanta Vlaykova Paneva
20 mins
  -> merci !
agree  Will Matter
34 mins
  -> merci !
agree  Jean-Luc Dumont
36 mins
  -> merci jl
agree  Rajan Chopra
1 hr
  -> thanks !
agree  2rush
3 hrs
  -> thanks!
agree  Asghar Bhatti
4 hrs
  -> Thanks!
agree  Refugio
4 hrs
  -> thanks !
agree  Alexandra Tussing
1 day 6 mins
  -> thanks !
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39 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
wheel-chair bound is another option depending on context


Explanation:
It depends on the handicap and context

this is what some people think - and say - a bit tongue in cheek about political correctness

With today's affirmative action and politically-correct speech, it is no longer acceptable to say "handicapped" or "disabled". "Challenged" is now the acceptable term.

Jean-Luc Dumont
France
Local time: 21:47
Native speaker of: French
PRO pts in pair: 24

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  rene_teews: you deserve the chair for the title, and not the wheeled one ;-)
7 mins
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +6
Depends on "social" context and region


Explanation:
Handicapped is still commonly used in areas like busses or transportation access (handicapped access ramps, handicapped parking) and in common usage. "disabled" "differently abled" sound very PC and most Americans, unless they are in media, publicity, or legal fields, don't tend to use such "laden" language.

Also, more "hick" (pardon me, my friends who live here or in the south) west and south of the States tend to use Handicapped much more often than NY and CA.


kipruss3
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  nyamuk: Thats right handicapped is commonly used to refer to things rather than people i.e. handicapped parking for disabled persons
30 mins
agree  Tantie Kustiantie: I agree with nyamuk's and kipruss's opinion
1 hr
neutral  Refugio: I live in Los Angeles and we frequently hear the word handicapped in the vernacular.
2 hrs
agree  Krisztina Lelik
4 hrs
agree  rene_teews: with nyamuk as well and off-topic : don't hog those H-parking places!
10 hrs
agree  Jean-Luc Dumont
19 hrs
agree  Alexandra Tussing
22 hrs
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24 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -3
differently-abled


Explanation:
PC talk has made it somewhat offensive to use handicapped and disabled.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 27 mins (2004-01-21 00:20:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

just type differently abled (sorry, no dash) in google and see all the organization names that come up.
eg. Resources For Differently Abled Persons - Boston College
... also offers a resume bank as well as career fairs for the differently abled. ... URL:
http://www.bc.edu/offices/careers/resourcesfor/differentlyab... © 2004 The ...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 32 mins (2004-01-21 00:25:08 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I said PC talk which refers to my US-experience. In France the word \"handicapé\" still works fine.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs 11 mins (2004-01-21 02:04:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I said PC talk which refers to my US-experience. In France the word \"handicapé\" still works fine.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs 15 mins (2004-01-21 02:07:54 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I said PC talk which refers to my US-experience. In France the word \"handicapé\" still works fine.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 54 mins (2004-01-22 00:47:18 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Are we talking about people or things related to them?
In vernacular : agreed, you can say handicapped, disabled, dwarf, midget... the list goes on.
I was merely pointing that PC-talk, used in media sources and political discourse have come up with alternate wording.
Perhaps this should make my position clear.
Differently-abled tends to lock my jaw when I say it ;-)

rene_teews
Local time: 12:47
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  kipruss3: sounds way too PC
1 hr
  -> kiyapa, babi, kiyapa
disagree  Refugio: Disabled is widely used in written documents in the US; handicapped is still widely used in oral language, even in big cities, such as handicapped parking.
4 hrs
  -> right, Handicapped parking is usual language. I should have mentionned I was refering to political correctness in media rather.
disagree  Alexandra Tussing: Ruth is right
23 hrs
  -> see above note
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2 days 17 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
special-needs


Explanation:
I have a son with autism, and this is the way the latest writings often describe those who are nondisabled.

Sally van der Graaff
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  NancyLynn
1 day 19 hrs
  -> Thanks, Nancy!
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