Dear #disability fediverse, what are the terms for 'disability' and 'people with disabilities' in #Hindi and #Urdu, as preferred by those with disabilities?
(NOTE: I'm aware of 'vikalang' - crippled limb, and 'divyang' - divine limb. Both are exonyms and deeply problematic.)
@subhapa I'm aware of the older 'apahij'. I don't know whether that too is an exonym.
Couple of other thoughts:
There may be more acceptable terms that are specific to the disabilities.
Social behaviour can turn even preferred terms into problematic labels over time (e.g. Dalit)
@subhapa regarding Dalit, I feel the terminology section here captures some of understanding. The term was adopted and popularised to self identify with a name other than what the higher casts used. But over time it has become politicised and stigmatised. This is evident in it's use as a slur and a discriminant.
Similarly, once a self identifying term by disabled folks gains enough use, it might end up being equally used to discriminate against them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalit#:~:text=This%20word%20was,definition%20of%20Dalits.
Subhashish Panigrahi
Adi ๐พ (he/him)