Jessica PingPhrase of the Week: Confined To A Wheelchair
“Confined to a wheelchair” is incredibly harmful language. Read on to find out why.
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Introduction To The Ableist Language Series:
Ableist language perpetuates the inferiority of people with disabilities. At its core, it is oppressive, derogatory, and hurtful, no matter the intention behind its usage.
I guarantee that you use ableist language every single day without even realizing it. It rolls off the tongue naturally because it’s hardly ever questioned.
Here on The Rolling Explorer, I am going to start questioning it.
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As an advocate for disability rights, I was appalled when I realized how common ableist language was in my own vocabulary. Of course, like many of you, I was uneducated and unaware of the implications behind my word choice. Our systemically ableist society has allowed these words and phrases to grow in popularity for far too long. It’s time for a change.
Every other week, I will be sharing a blog post that highlights one of the words from the downloadable glossary above. These posts will provide definitions, explanations, as well as alternative words and phrases to use in place of the one being examined.
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Today’s phrase is “confined to a wheelchair.” Keep reading to learn why you should avoid this phrase at all costs.
Confined To A Wheelchair
Merriam-Webster definition of confined:
Kept within confines: such as being limited to a particular location or held captive
How is Confined To A Wheelchair Ableist Language?
As you can see from the definition above, to be confined is to be a prisoner of your own condition. But, wheelchairs are freedom enhancers, not restrictive devices. So, how does this logic work?
Short answer: it doesn’t. Yet, we as a society have normalized this phrase as being an acceptable way to describe another human being. It is a way of verbally keeping people with disabilities in their place.
When you talk about a group of people as being confined, you assess that they are not in control of themselves or their lives. You take away their voice and their worth. Essentially, you equate them to an object. Something that cannot think or motivate itself in any capacity.
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Saying that someone is “confined to a wheelchair” also perpetuates the pitiful mentality many people have towards the disability community. This language sustains the widely held belief that for one to be or become disabled is worse than death. Not only does this make those who are, have been, or are just becoming disabled feel like outsiders, it takes the responsibility off of society to become more accessible.
You see, according to the social model of disability, a person’s level of disability depends highly upon their environment. Therefore, pity should not be placed upon the disabled person, but instead action should be taken to ensure that they can still live the best life possible.
Phrases like “confined to a wheelchair” dismiss growth in this area of thinking and preserve the aged opinion that people with disabilities are in a category of their own accord, less than human.
Alternative Words and Phrases To Use Instead of Saying Someone Is Confined To A Wheelchair:
- Wheelchair user
- Disabled
*Ask the individual how they would like to be identified. While many are reclaiming the word disabled, others are still quite uncomfortable with it due to it’s negative connotations in society.
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Why Should YOU Avoid Saying That Someone Is Confined To A Wheelchair?
- Most people who use wheelchairs do not sit in them constantly and are not confined to them at all. (we like couches and beds too 😉)
- When you say this, you preserve problematic ideologies that many activists within the disability community have been trying to exterminate for years.
- You fail to see the beauty of mobility devices and how much independence they are able to provide their users on a daily basis.
- It sounds ignorant.
- You now know it’s offensive.
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I am “confined” to a wheelchair. I need it for ALL seating and mobility. Other than lying in bed or crawling across the floor, I NEED the positioning support that my complex rehab wheelchair provides. I understand that there are many people who are not completely dependent on their wheelchairs. They are wheelchair users. I, however, am wheelchair DEPENDENT (if confined is offensive). Without my wheelchair I can not function, just as many people can not see clearly without glasses. I acknowledge that fact and do not feel at all belittled by it. I understand your concern about Ableism, but I think there is a distinction between wheelchair users and wheelchair dependent people. Those differences are amplified when it comes to accessibility issues. One group is able to stand, take steps, or maneuver from a wheelchair using another support device as necessary. While the other group requires the support of a wheelchair and cannot function or move without it. They are, in fact, dependent on that chair, and being so, do require more accommodations to access their environment. Making that distinction is important to insure that legislation takes into account that some people are not using a wheelchair simply for mobility, but for all seated support and functioning. Extra space and accessibility must be made available to accommodate those who are (confined) unable to leave their wheelchair. So, wheelchair dependent is not offensive to me! It simply describes, accurately, my situation.
Thank you for adding this perspective! The biggest issue with the word “confined” is the restrictive and overall negative connotation that the word alludes to. Even if you’re wheelchair dependent, your chair offers you freedoms that you would not otherwise have without it. That said, I can appreciate your views. Have a great day!
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