Why it’s a problem: In this essay in Business Insider, a person talks about the challenges of caring for her mom, who has dementia. The person writes, “You could say that I’ve become my mom’s eyes, ears, and her voice.”

This is a problematic statement, because nobody can rightfully claim to be the voice of another person. A person can certainly advocate for another person’s needs, but that is not the same as claiming to be their voice, which denies the individual’s personhood. Equating dementia or any disability with not having “eyes, ears, and a voice” is extremely dehumanizing and dangerous, as it risks allowing nondisabled people to speak over the disabled individual’s needs. An individual who is nonspeaking or experiencing cognitive decline can still express their needs and wants, and will experience distress if their needs are spoken over.

This is the kind of language that leads to institutionalization.

Source: Business Insider