Dabled: There’s no ‘Dis’ in Differently-Abled

Why ‘Dabled’?

‘Dabled’ is a portmanteau for ‘Differently-abled’. It’s a less discriminatory term than ‘Disabled’ because the prefix ‘Dis’ in Latin means ‘apart’ and this has negative connotations when it comes to a person’s ability. And it’s more concise than’Differently-abled’ which isn’t catching on because it’s too much of a mouthful. Dabled is a short and snappy word to describe people who are still ‘able’ to do things but with abilities that may be different from our own. For example, many people with no fingers or even hands can still use a fork to eat. So they are not DISABLED to use the fork per se; they just use their limbs DIFFERENTLY to achieve the same result.
Hotel guest: Hi, I’m calling to see if the restaurant can accommodate a wheelchair?

Manager: Good evening sir, yes we have Dabled access in the restaurant, just take lift number 2 and the ramp.

Hotel guest: That’s great to hear, thank you!

So the next time you need to use a word to describe someone that can do the things that we all do, but differently, please refer them as ‘Dabled’. Together, we can change perceptions and make them realities.