From handicap to disability: language use and cultural meaning in the United States

The historical shift in discourse regarding disabled persons in the US is analysed by its core terms, handicap and disability. First, this shift in discourse is illustrated in the marketplace and in the context of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Then, discourse shifts are theoretically explicated through a semiotic and historical analysis. Last, the discouse shifts are theoretically explicated through a semiotic and historical analysis. Last, the discourses of handicap and disability are tested in their societal context, especially in the case of American youngsters who have directly experienced the shift in their own life course. Changes in terminology reflect a different logic of the understanding of disability as phenomenon. While 'handicap' reflects an era in which accessibility is central for understanding and practice, the concept of 'disability' shifted the attention to the individual's ability. The impact of such large discourse shifts is tangible in the lives of individuals with mental retardation in the experiences that shift from 'access' to 'ability'. Whereas in the handicap era, access is to be created, in the disability era this is replaced by ability. Professionals are reminded that the rehabilitation process takes on different meanings with shifting discourses.