ISRAEL ELWYN | LEXICON OF PROFESSIONAL TERMINOLOGY

Lexicon of Professional Terminology Language - "Linguistics, vocabulary used by a person to express his / her desires" (Even Shoshan Dictionary). Clear Language – "Structured and exact linguistics, a style of speaking that is clear and understandable to all who hear it" (Even Shoshan Dictionary) The Significance of Words The words we use in speech and writing are highly important, and we must be alert, sensitive and aware of their meaning. What connects the system of words (the linguistic signs) with reality? If a person hears a word, does that word succeed in describing what it was meant to portray? Background The way we relate to people with disabilities (people with physical or intellectual disabilities, people with emotional struggles, etc.) goes back to the 16th century, when the Catholic Church used words such as compassion, good deeds, love, charity and others. On the one hand, the Church emphasized the equality of all men in G-d's eyes, while, on the other hand, making use of the word "idiot" in reference to people with intellectual disabilities. During the 1970s, a change began to take hold regarding the understanding of disability, including a new cognizance of rights and the right of choice. This change in attitudewas accompanied by a transformation, a shift from themedical model to the social model: from a patronizing attitude that viewed disability as a medical problem that concentrated on healing the "illness" via a therapist, a skilled professional imbued with the knowledge and answers necessary to fix and cure the illness, to an attitude founded on social responsibility.