"Transformative Impact of Language: Words craft and reshape the fabric of society"
In a significant move towards promoting dignity, autonomy, and equality for persons with disabilities, the term "diminished" in Article 49 of the Spanish Constitution has been replaced with "people with disabilities." This change, which marks the end of a long-awaited constitutional reform, is set to take effect in 2024, signifying a "Copernican revolution" in Spanish social policy.
The reform, presented as the most important social change of the current legislature, aims to create a public and universal system ensuring the right to well-being, care, equality, freedom, and autonomy for persons with disabilities. It shifts the focus from managing care facilities to meeting individual needs and preferences, showing a comprehensive recognition of the social and human rights of people with disabilities.
Javier Font, president of the Federation of Associations of People with Physical and Organic Disability of the Community of Madrid, supports this change, viewing it as a step in a long journey towards safeguarding the rights of people with disabilities. Teresa Valencia, a marketing assistant and painter, shares her experience of school bullying in the Senate chamber during the "Disability and Bullying in School" session, echoing the data from the Spanish Council for the Defense of Disability and Dependence that 80% of students with disabilities have experienced school bullying at some point.
The reform aligns with broader efforts in Spanish law to improve benefits, cut bureaucracy, and promote autonomy and personal care for dependent people, integrating civil society’s inputs and consensus from various social stakeholders. Maria Petit, aged 31, who works in the communication area of a fashion design company and lost her sight and smell in an accident in 2010, is among those who support this change. She is joined by David Martinez, a member of CERMI, the committee of representatives of people with disabilities, and athletes like Jairo Salgueiro and Desireé Vila, who have made their mark in the Paralympic Games.
Jairo Salgueiro, an athlete with ocular albinism, suffers from visual disability and uses auditory aids and bright color markings on the ground during races. He shares his experience with thousands of followers through Instagram. Desireé Vila participated in the Paralympic Games in Tokyo and is preparing for the Paris 2024 Games. The Spanish Paralympic Committee has over 13,000 affiliated athletes, and in the Tokyo Games, 142 Spaniards participated and obtained 36 medals.
David Martinez criticizes the term "disabled" as paternalistic and protective, and celebrates the change in the term in the Constitution. Carolina Bescansa, a sociologist, political scientist, and professor at the Complutense University of Madrid, argues that the use of pejorative terms like "diminished" ends up generating a sense of inferiority in people with disabilities. According to INE data, more than 55% of people with disabilities in Spain have significant mobility difficulties.
The reform of Article 49, which the Congress took the first step to eliminate the term "diminished" from the Constitution, is a testament to the power of collective advocacy and the importance of language in shaping societal perceptions and policies. As the world continues to evolve, it is crucial that our laws and language reflect and uphold the dignity, autonomy, and equality of all individuals, regardless of their abilities.
[1] Source: El País, 12th May 2021. Available at: https://elpais.com/sociedad/2021-05-12/el-congreso-aprueba-la-modificacion-constitucional-que-elimina-la-palabra-diminuidos-por-discapacitados.html
- The average citizen can anticipate a universal health-and-wellness and mental-health care system aimed at meeting the unique needs and preferences of people with disabilities, reflecting the Copernican revolution in Spanish social policy.
- In the realm of general news, the replacement of the term "diminished" with "people with disabilities" in the Spanish Constitution is seen as a significant political stride towards promoting dignity, autonomy, and equality for those individuals.
- A notable shift in science and well-being discussions is observed as Spain adopted a comprehensive recognition of the social and human rights of people with disabilities, moving away from managing care facilities towards a focus on individual care and autonomy.
