Surf Wiki
Save to docs
general/pejorative-terms-for-people-with-disabilities

From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

Cripple

Person or animal with a physical disability, typically being unable to walk

Person or animal with a physical disability, typically being unable to walk

A cripple is a person or animal with a physical disability, particularly one who is unable to walk because of an injury or illness. The word was recorded as early as 950 AD, and derives from the Proto-Germanic krupilaz. The German and Dutch words Krüppel and kreupel are cognates.

By the 1970s, the word generally came to be regarded as pejorative when used for people with disabilities. Cripple is also a transitive verb, meaning "cause a disability or inability". The word crippling is also used as an adjective.

Reappropriation

Main article: Crip (disability term)

In the same way that the term "queer" has been reappropriated by the gay rights movement, members of the disability rights movement have reclaimed words such as "cripple", "crip", and "gimp" to refer to themselves. The cripple tribunal in Dortmund on 13 December 1981 was one of the main protest actions of the autonomous German disability movement (in confrontation with the established disability assistance) against human rights abuses in nursing homes and psychiatric hospitals, as well as against deficiencies of local public transport. Analogous to the Russell Tribunal by Amnesty International, the cripple tribunal has denounced human rights violations of disabled people.

Other usages

  • The Crips street gang were so named when members started carrying a cane which gave the impression they were disabled.
  • A cripple is a trimmer stud or joist which is shorter than full-length.
  • A cripple is a goods wagon or a passenger coach which although safe to run on the railway, is not fit for use and requires a repair before it can be used in service. This could be a coal wagon with a hole in the floor (which would allow coal to fall out of the wagon), or a passenger coach with a broken window.

References

References

  1. [http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=cripple Online Etymology Dictionary]
  2. (1 January 1972). "A Life Apart: A Pilot Study of Residential Institutions for the Physically Handicapped and the Young Chronic Sick". Taylor & Francis.
  3. (25 August 2005). "Social Injustice and Public Health". Oxford University Press.
  4. (2011). "Multiple Minority Identities: Applications for Practice, Research, and Training". Springer Publishing Company.
  5. (17 May 2011). "Comparing Special Education: Origins to Contemporary Paradoxes". Stanford University Press.
  6. "Crippling Definition & Meaning". Dictionary.com.
  7. (2012). "Disability Studies and the Inclusive Classroom: Critical Practices for Creating Least Restrictive Attitudes". Routledge.
  8. [http://www.disabilityworld.org/01-03_02/news/tribunal.shtml cripple tribunal on disabilityworld.org] {{webarchive. link. (2010-11-23 Retrieved 2012-01-21)
  9. ""Crip" Gang Knowledge".
  10. (2001-03-15). "Anatomy of a Stud-Framed Wall".
  11. "Glossary and Terminology".
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

pejorative-terms-for-people-with-disabilities
Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about Cripple — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report