Reme  +  78659 Sat, 05 Mar 05 12:32 PM Hi everybody, Could anyone explain the main differences between these three words? If you want to say that someone is physically handicapped... wouldn´t that be a disabled person??? Gracias! Reme Joined on Mon, Sep 13 2004 Spain New Member 51 Rester, c'est exister: mais voyager, c'est vivre.

	nona the brit  +  79330 Mon, 07 Mar 05 08:27 PM These are all ways of describing the same sort of thing but from different eras really. Invalid could also apply to someone who was convalescing from a long illness. the following applies to Britain and probably most other countries. The only one that is genererally acceptable today is disabled. It is better to say 'a person with a disability' rather than a disabled person, as people with disabilities do not like, understandably, being defined by their disability rather than any thing else about them. people with disabilities got very 'political' about this a decade or so ago (well, longer than that but it took a while for society to take them seriously) and will be offended at being called 'handicapped'. Many people with disabilities do not consider themselves handicapped by their disability. sorry for the PC lecture but it is always best to attempt to avoid offending anyone. nona the brit Joined on Wed, Sep 22 2004 England Veteran Member 11,713 The name says it all.

	Reme  +  79496 Tue, 08 Mar 05 09:58 AM It´s allright, nona the brit, that´s really what I was looking for... It´s important to use the language accurately and also not offending people by the way we say things... Do you think, then, it will be allright if a doctor is explaining to a pacient the following (he´s had an accident and probably he won´t be able to walk anymore): DOCTOR: (...) but one of your possibilities is that you may be leg disabled or you´ll be disabled on both legs? It sounds to me very odd, suggestions welcome! thanks a lot Reme Reme

	Melodie  +  79721 Wed, 09 Mar 05 05:56 AM Hello! In North American it is not politically correct nor respectful to say handicapped, invalid or disabled anymore. We refer to people with physical challenges. The reason for this is that a person born with a 'disability' does not think of it as such: their's is a normal way of being, not abnormal for them. It is also not proper to say that someone is 'suffering' from a disability for the very same reason. An 'acquired disability' might be okay to say... just might be, however it is still better to say 'facing some physical challenges.' Melodie Melodie Joined on Fri, Nov 28 2003 New Member 35

	Melodie  +  79722 Wed, 09 Mar 05 05:58 AM The proper way to say this is: ".. one of the possibilities is that you may not be able to use one of your legs, or both." Melodie in Canada Melodie

	David  +  79787 Wed, 09 Mar 05 11:02 AM Most of us are facing different physical challenges. How does one solve problems if one cannot refer to them by name? David Joined on Sat, Mar 8 2003 Regular Member 664

	Reme  +  79860 Wed, 09 Mar 05 05:04 PM I know is a tricky subject, but I didn´t know they were almost taboo words... As David says, things must be named by their own name (that is the main purpouse of words ) but the least I want is to offend a person just for the sake of using a word instead of another which may sound more "polite"... Anyway, thanks for all your views and recommendations. I´ll bear them in mind. Regards. Reme Regards