Talking About Disability in German

The language we use to describe and talk about people is constantly evolving. As in any other language, there is a push in German towards more empowering language for groups that have been marginalized in the past.

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When it comes to disability, the general consensus is that it is better to structure sentences in a way that uses the noun die Behinderung rather than the adjective behindert. This allows for person-first language, which you can see in these two examples:

Ja, dass Menschen mit Handicaps oder Behinderung quasi alle Räumlichkeiten erreichen können ohne Probleme.

Yes, that people with handicaps or disabilities can basically reach all spaces without problems.

Captions 12-13, KIT, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie Umfrage: Was bedeutet barrierefrei?
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Für mich bedeutet's einfach, dass jeder einen Zugang haben sollte eben hier auch zu den Lehreinrichtungen, egal, ob man jetzt im Rollstuhl sitzt oder sonst irgendeine Behinderung oder Einschränkung hat.

For me, it simply means that everyone should have access to learning institutions here too, doesn't matter now whether you are in a wheelchair, or, apart from that, have some disability or limitation.

Captions 14-17, KIT, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie Umfrage: Was bedeutet barrierefrei?
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In person-first language, the sentence below would read Ich arbeite in einer Institution für Menschen mit geistiger Behinderung. However, the adjectives taub ("deaf") and blind are actually preferable to their related nouns, which tend to obscure other identities.

Ich arbeite in einer Institution für geistig behinderte Menschen.

I work in an institution for mentally disabled people.

Caption 5, Grete: eine Freiwillige in Israel
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Während der Kongress tanzt, beginnt der fast taube Komponist achtzehnhundertfünfzehn endlich mit der Arbeit an seiner letzten neunten Sinfonie.

While Congress dances, the almost deaf composer begins finally to work on his ninth and final symphony in 1815.

Captions 38-39, Ludwig van Beethoven: Die Geschichte der Europahymne
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The word die Beeinträchtigung ("the impairment") is used commonly as well. With both die Behinderung and die Beeinträchtigung, specification is possible, such as Menschen mit Mobilitätsbeeinträchtigung ("people with reduced mobility") or Menschen mit Sehbeeinträchtigung ("people with visual impairment").

Als Kind ist durch Sauerstoffmangel ihr Sprach- und Lesezentrum im Gehirn beeinträchtigt worden.

As a child, her speech and reading center in her brain was impaired by an oxygen deficit.

Caption 27, Malerei Atelier Goldstein
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We speak about access with the noun der Zugang, as you can see in the example above. The word for wheelchair is der Rollstuhl, but the German adjective for places that are accessible by wheelchair is barrierefrei.

Gesichert sind die Rollstuhlfahrer über zwei separate Seile.

The wheelchair users are secured with two separate ropes.

Caption 15, Tarzan im Rollstuhl: Waldseilpark für Menschen mit Handicap
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Der See ist nämlich fast komplett barrierefrei.

The lake is actually almost completely barrier-free [wheelchair accessible].

Caption 35, Rhein-Main-TV: Badesee Rodgau
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Further Learning
The video KIT, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie: Umfrage - Was bedeutet barrierefrei? on Yabla German has a lot of the vocabulary in this lesson. Additionally, you can refer to this helpful PDF.

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