I don’t know about history, but when someone uses “I don’t blindly follow rules,” to me, I ask them whether they mean blindness to be inconsiderate or lack of thoughtfulness. If so, whether they think all blind people are thoughtful or inconsiderate or ignorant of their actions, because that was exactly what has been implied.
This kind of language personally makes me uncomfortable. May be it is how we experience language and probably if you don’t experience it’s harder to explain. From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Vaibhav Bhandari Sent: 29 July 2025 10:08 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [AI] My post on Ableist language and how to remove it from every day writing Hi, It is historically inaccurate to equate racial slurs with idioms/phrases which some call ableist. Additionally, it also disregards the massive impact in real world impact. For instance, the word 'Nigger' was used to dehumanise, subordinate and oppress the Blacks in America. It's historical baggage is rooted in direct violence and institutional racism. In contrast, idioms did not emerge out of malice, but from figurative language traditions and are used to describe abstract conditions, not people. There is no historical linkage between their use and systemic discrimination. On Tue, Jul 29, 2025 at 9:03 PM Mahesh S. Panicker <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > wrote: Language is innately political, and can often be a reflection of social attitudes. emancipatory movements across the world including the disability rights movement, have therefore used language as a significant front in the struggle for emancipation and recognition. And efforts of such movements have brought about change as well. The word 'negro/nigger' was so frequently used in the US well into the 20th century, whether that is in everyday conversations, or literature and other manifestations of the so called high culture. However, with the emergence of the civil rights movement and the success it had, the public legitimacy those expressions had have disappeared. Languages do not emerge in vacuum. They are informed and shaped by a context, and in turn shape contexts. That is why it is important to challenge ablism in language use... Of course in the necessary need for prioritizing concerns, this may not exactly be the first issue on the agenda. However, it still is a very important front in my view. On Tue, Jul 29, 2025 at 7:47 PM Mujtaba Merchant <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > wrote: This discussion has been truly enlightening, and I'd like to express my gratitude for the thoughtful insights shared. The emphasis on considering the nuances of language in a balanced and evidence-based manner has inspired me to write a post on my website <https://www.mister-kayne.com/> , which I'll be sharing with this group shortly. In the meantime, you're welcome to visit my website <https://www.mister-kayne.com/> , leave your comments, subscribe, and share the posts if you find them thought-provoking. If you'd like to support the site and its authors, please explore the options available on the LOVE <https://www.mister-kayne.com/2025/02/show-your-love-for-somebody-nobody.html> page. Your engagement and support are greatly appreciated! From: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > On Behalf Of Vaibhav Bhandari Sent: 29 July 2025 07:10 PM To: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> Subject: Re: [AI] My post on Ableist language and how to remove it from every day writing Hi, While I understand the intent behind your analogy of cancer cells, I believe it is logically flawed. Cancer cells are a biological pathology with objectively measurable harm, whereas idioms are contextual tools of language whose meaning and impact depend on intent, context, and reception. Thus, equating the two is a false equivalence. It is also important to distinguish between intentional, systemic discrimination and figurative expressions that have no demonstrable link to real-world harm. To date, there is no empirical evidence showing that phrases like “blind faith” or “crippled economy” cause measurable harm or reinforce discrimination against people with disabilities. Without such evidence, asserting subconscious bias becomes a speculative leap. Furthermore, taking offense is a subjective experience. The fact that there is division within the disability community itself regarding this issue further lends credence to the argument that offense taken cannot be the sole metric of acceptability—if it were, virtually any word or expression could be banned based on personal interpretation. That would lead not to inclusion, but to linguistic paralysis. On Mon, Jul 28, 2025 at 7:46 PM <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > wrote: Hello: You are most welcome to challenge and question the perspective. The very purpose of writing topics like this is to have a healthy discussion and debate. My only argument in support is this: just because something isn’t as direct and as dangerous as discriminatory behaviour doesn’t make it agreeable. In fact, to give you an analogy, cancer cells are proteins and they grow painlessly, but that doesn’t make them healthy. If a bias exists subconsciously, right under the veneer of normal expressions and idioms, it can’t be regarded acceptable. I encourage you to read the post because I’ve also argued in the post that using such cliches are also bad and lazy writing. So, while I respectfully acknowledge your objections, I stand by what I’ve said. From: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > On Behalf Of Vaibhav Bhandari Sent: 27 July 2025 6:06 PM To: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> Subject: Re: [AI] My post on Ableist language and how to remove it from every day writing Hi, I must respectfully express my disagreement with this perspective. It closely resembles a post that appeared some time ago on the Be My Eyes blog, which was met with significant criticism from within the disabled community. That post, much like this argument, attempted to reframe ordinary, long-established expressions as inherently offensive or exclusionary. >From my observation, this approach ultimately leads to excessive language >policing. Once such a precedent is set, it is not long before even neutral >expressions like “stand up for yourself” are labeled ableist. As someone who is blind, I take no issue with commonly used phrases such as “blinded by love,” “blindly following,” or “blind spot.” These idioms are part of everyday language and are clearly not intended to demean or marginalize anyone. Their function is metaphorical, not literal, and they serve to convey abstract ideas effectively. In my view, this kind of hyper-sensitivity detracts from the core issues facing the disabled community. The focus must remain on addressing tangible systemic challenges rather than attempting to sanitize language to the point of absurdity. On Sat, Jul 26, 2025 at 8:55 AM <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > wrote: Dear all: I recently wrote about ableism and how to weed ableist language out of our writing. Let me know your thoughts. Also, if you find ableist language, don’t hesitate to point it out to the person concerned and ask them to correct. --- --- --- What if the harm was not in the action, but in the phrasing? A quiet shift in words can redraw the borders of inclusion. https://open.substack.com/pub/aatri/p/unbiased-writing-fix-this-mistake?r=83eqk <https://open.substack.com/pub/aatri/p/unbiased-writing-fix-this-mistake?r=83eqk&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true> &utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true -- Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list.. Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "AccessIndia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> . To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/005701dbfddc%24fa176030%24ee462090%24%40gmail.com <https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/005701dbfddc%24fa176030%24ee462090%24%40gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> . -- Thanks/regards: Vaibhav Bhandari -- Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list.. Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "AccessIndia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> . To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/CADDLUp01x%2BH%3DmTGynPbR1P-N2zsjx%3DUMYte%3DGe-%3DCBmmCx4T_Q%40mail.gmail.com <https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/CADDLUp01x%2BH%3DmTGynPbR1P-N2zsjx%3DUMYte%3DGe-%3DCBmmCx4T_Q%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> . -- Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list.. Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "AccessIndia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> . To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/032b01dbffca%242b4c9f00%2481e5dd00%24%40gmail.com <https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/032b01dbffca%242b4c9f00%2481e5dd00%24%40gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> . -- Thanks/regards: Vaibhav Bhandari -- Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list.. Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "AccessIndia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> . To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/CADDLUp3yy_RK__3N28Dq0h-zrJ3RbJNZ26WxFYLk5EADztq6yQ%40mail.gmail.com <https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/CADDLUp3yy_RK__3N28Dq0h-zrJ3RbJNZ26WxFYLk5EADztq6yQ%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> . -- Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list.. Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "AccessIndia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> . To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/003301dc0093%247aa94b60%246ffbe220%24%40gmail.com <https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/003301dc0093%247aa94b60%246ffbe220%24%40gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> . -- Dr. Mahesh S. Panicker Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Lajpat Nagar New Delhi 110024 -- Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list.. Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "AccessIndia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> . To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/CAFAyNEOgxaBGkb4OiGhjo%2BtnhCz3PgKNQXXkdVoWXLRNDGJDpg%40mail.gmail.com <https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/CAFAyNEOgxaBGkb4OiGhjo%2BtnhCz3PgKNQXXkdVoWXLRNDGJDpg%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> . -- Thanks/regards: Vaibhav Bhandari -- Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list.. Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "AccessIndia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> . 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