The Importance of Words and Language

Acronyms Be Gone!
I really believe words are important. Words are part of how we communicate with each other and we all know how difficult communication is sometimes. So words along with gestures and other tools help us all communicate with each other better. So why is it then that so many people insist on using acronyms instead of words? We all see it.....almost to the point where it becomes a game or a contest. Who can make a word acronym out of the newest concept that someone is promoting? The excuse is always that it will help people remember this very important new thing or idea. In most cases that's just BS and it should be confronted that way. Here's the issue - Words are Important. They communicate ideas. Sometimes they communicate good ideas and sometimes bad ideas but communicate they do.

So why else do people insist on using acronyms? Some of it's laziness - it's easier to say or write DOT instead of Department of Transportation. Some of it's power. The old haves and have nots issue. You have the information (know what acronyms stand for) and therefore you have the power and authority. We've all sat in meetings where someone is using acronyms that we don't understand. Most of the time we sit there in silence and pretend we know what is being said. Finally someone says something about the alphabet soup and for a moment we're relieved that we're not the only one who doesn't understand half of what's being talked about. More people have to speak up about the use of letters versus words in my opinion.

Recently, the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD to those in the know) in New York State with the help of stakeholders, came up with a new acronym to describe an organization model that's being looked at - here it is - DISCO. Now isn't that cute. It's letters that make a word that everyone can remember - at least everyone from the 70's. And people can laugh about it, joke about it, make dance references and on and on. So now everyone in that field of work is referring to DISCOs and discussing if their agency will become a DISCO.

So what is this thing or what does the acronym stand for? It's a Developmental Disability Individual Support and Care Coordination Organization. Now just so we're straight, those words are important. They identify a specific group of people, they identify the importance of individualized support, care and coordination and they describe that this is an organizational model. It is hard to say all of those words, but they are important, not the letters or the acronym.

Here's another one that really gets me - DSPs. That stands for a Direct Support Professional but who would know when you use letters only. Direct Support Professionals do awesome work supporting people with disabilities, the elderly and others in community settings. Again, the words say much more then the letters. There are many more of these examples but you get the idea. Use words. They mean something.

Words That Hurt or Devalue People
There are plenty of these but I'm going to point out some that are again related to my own experiences working with and supporting people with disabilities. I really hate to hear people talking about caring for people. It implies that people are totally dependent. Sometimes people are dependent on others to help, assist or support them but most people I've met want to be able to do things for themselves even if it's hard. I also hate to hear people talking about "the people we serve". It sounds almost religious or like some sort of charitable quilt work. My choice for those words is always to talk about "the people we support". I know some will say it's just some attempt at political correctness but I think it's more important than that. I think it's about dignity and respect.

How about this - people who work with people who need support many times struggle with what to call these people. Its run the gamut from clients to participants to consumers and then some. Nobody's comfortable with any of it so we've come up with things like "the folks" and "the guys". None of it's very good and in many cases it's demeaning and devaluing. The easiest thing is to refer to people as people either by name or as the people I/we support.

Yep language and words - they're really important - not just for conveying messages but for changing attitudes and presenting images in people's minds. Use them and think about them.