On Being Cripple Essay

The word cripple may mean something different to you versus what it may mean to me, to me it means to be disabled in a way that affects one’s physical abilities. I’m going to expand on the definition of the word and discuss a personal experience with being cripple as well as provide some examples of what I feel may be viewed by other as being cripple, finally I will discuss societies views on the word and how it may affect those it applies to. Generally when someone says the word cripple, they are most likely referring to a person who is physically disabled and in one way or another having an underlying factor that affects their movement. For example, the story “On Being a Cripple” refers to someone with multiple sclerosis also known as MS. MS is a disease in which the immune system eats away at the protective nerve coverings of the central nervous system, also known as the CNS. MS is often a disease that causes a person to have limited mobility may even be bound to a wheelchair. However, MS is not the only disease that may cause a person to lose their mobility, many other diseases such as Parkinson’s as well as cerebral paisley, both affecting the mobility of someone and ultimately being disabled or crippled. Although many diseases that affect the CNS, also affect the mobility of someone, not …show more content…
I feel that the word is degrading and insulting to those it may apply to. After doing some further research regarding the word, it appears that the word cripple is offensive and that it doesn’t fit in with today’s social norms( Citation Needed) Although the author of the story “On Being a Cripple” uses the term, it seems as though they aren’t sure as to why they use it except that they’ve always used since becoming disabled. Words that have become more accepting in the 20th century include handicap and disabled, both of which I feel comfortable saying and coheres with today’s