PWD not Politically Correct?

I looked up for the definition of what is politically correct in the internet. I read that according to Merriam Webster online dictionary, politically correct means " agreeing with the idea that people should be careful to not use language or behave in a way that could offend a particular group of people".

I attended an orientation of our partner and once again I found myself not conforming on some ideas or term perceived as not politically correct by persons with disabilities or " some persons with disabilities".

I agree with many persons with disabilities that there are terms that we really find offensive and annoying. These are mongoloid, autistic, deaf and mute and disabled. Now, the politically correct terms are child with down syndrome, child with autism, DEAF ( not deaf and mute) and persons with disabilities and not disabled. In these situation, I completely agree. I do not want to be called by these names.

There are also terms I find very confusing because some preferred differently -abled and or "handicapped".

The word which I cannot bring myself to agree on the idea that its not politically correct is the word PWD. Some persons with disabilities said we should not use PWD because its like referring to an institution or they do not understand what it means. Those that are saying or bringing this idea comes from what we call people with disabilities with "high level of awareness" or fully exposed persons with disabilities. They are also the known personalities in the sector, the spokespersons and the intelligent ones.

But my question is, how many people with disabilities really find PWD word as offensive? When I see this word, what comes to my mind is the idea that Filipinos love acronyms. We also hear ASD and ADHD, but there is nobody complaining about this? A person with disability said it does not mean nobody questions or complains, we have to conform. Yes of course, I completely agree, anyone can state his or her opinion but one's opinion does not mean the opinion of the rest of us.

The problem with the situation wherein the PWD personalities are the ones saying that a particular term or word is not politically correct , it gradually becomes the TRUTH. Its like INDOCTRINATION.

Lately, in the trainings I attended, many PWDs who would say the word PWDs are being corrected by these PWDs whom in my own personal opinion are making "pauso" that the word PWD should not be use. Well its really confusing because other PWDs would say that we should not also use the word Mute but only Deaf, but a group of Deaf would insist that they should be called deaf and mute.

The only obvious thing here is, "It all depends on the PWD". What I really hated is seeing some PWDs for lack of better word "institutionalizing" or making it as a ' policy" that certain words are not politically correct while in fact many PWDs are in fact usng and are comfortable with the word.

I still believe that there are more PWDs who are not offended by the word PWD and that there are more people ( PWDs and non-PWDs) who understood what it means compared to people who do not know what it means and are offended by it. Maybe some would think because most people with disabilities have a low level of awareness that is why they still think this way? Is this really the truth?

For us people with disabilities, the terms we find offensive depend on our own personal experience. There are persons with disabilities who are not offended by being called " bulag" or "bingi" but I find it very offensive people calling me "pilay" because of my childhood experienced of being called by other children on this name.

My only question is who really declares that a term or a word is not politically correct?

When the time comes that I started to hear from a lot of people with disabilities that they find PWD as an offensive word , that is only the time I might re- consider my opinion . But of course, after this indoctrinization process, I think that situation will come. But for now, I do not FEEL offended by the word.