# "Handicapable" ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 4, 2010, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapable/555992 "2010-10-04T11:50:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapable/555992/21 "2010-10-05T03:06:39Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > “Moblity impaired” looks to me like a useful term; it identifies a disability which impacts on mobility rather than, e.g., cognition, learning, speech, manual ability, etc. then why do they still treat us like we are congenital morons .. you know how many people talk at mrAru past me, or talk to me with 1 syllable words and in loud voices … I am not deaf, just gimpy! ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapable/555992/22 "2010-10-05T03:14:27Z")
Because they are ignorant and insensitive. But I don’t think that problem would be solved by dropping “mobility-impaired”. For those of them who are prepared to engage their brains, the term “moblity impaired” should do more than the term “disabled” to signal to them that shouting at you in baby-talk is neither necessary nor appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapable/555992/23 "2010-10-05T16:48:19Z")
**muldoonthief** said: > [@](#): > > I heard it on an episode of “Diff’rent Strokes”, [Count Your Blessings](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0559962/), which aired in 1981. Arnold’s depressed because he finds out he’s only going to get to 5’ tall (oops), so they introduce him to a girl in a wheelchair, who when asked about what it’s like to be handicapped yells “I’m not handicapped, I’m handicapable!” Ding ding ding, we have a winner. That was my first encounter. Anytime since then has pretty much been mocking the term. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapable/555992/24 "2010-10-05T22:15:10Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > > [@Apollyon](#): > > > > . . . Everyone that is “presently not-formerly living” at least. > > We prefer to be referred to as **prehumous**. Or should that be **antemortious**? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapable/555992/25 "2010-10-06T18:20:12Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > then why do they still treat us like we are congenital morons .. you know how many people talk at mrAru past me, or talk to me with 1 syllable words and in loud voices … I am not deaf, just gimpy! I was once out with a blind colleague, walking him to the train station. A woman came up to us and asked me, “Is he blind?” When I said, “Well, you can ask him; he’s not deaf!”, she called me a wise ass. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapable/555992/26 "2010-10-07T17:58:52Z")
Well, you were a wise ass, but she was a moron, so wiseassery was required. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapable/555992/27 "2010-10-07T18:06:52Z")
I use the term “handicapable” as a joke, particularly when I think people are trying too hard to be PC in regards to the crippled. Oh, excuse me, the handicapped. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapable/555992/28 "2010-10-07T19:48:11Z")
I’ve only ever heard it in the film Storytelling where its use was mocked mercilessly. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapable/555992.md?page=1)