Language is an ever-evolving structure, and we ask our readers to be patient with our interviewees and examine the language you use in your own life. When we set out to write this book, we publicized that we were looking to interview members of the chronically ill, disabled, immunocompromised, and neurodiverse communities. We chose this language as we saw it as the most encompassing of those being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic but as we worked on the project, we realized more communities exist that experience ableism and do not identify within these identities. There are some folx who identify only with their particular diagnosis or members of the Deaf community and the mental illness community who experience ableism but do not necessarily identify within the aforementioned communities.

We recognize that it is challenging to list all identities that experience ableism as they are constantly changing. We wonder if moving forward should folx who experience ableism exist under the term “disabled” as some advocates, a few in this book, have suggested or should there be another phase or term to recognize individuals experiencing ableism. This is something we will continue to explore. 

This book also uses language that people may feel uncomfortable with but many times the language people are uncomfortable with is reclaimed language. Many of the interviewees use identities that have held negative connotations for a long time, but these interviewees are reclaiming those words. Furthermore, many of our participants, including ourselves, use identity first language. We view chronic illness, disability and neurodiversity as a part of the person’s identity not something to be separated from the person. This is not how all members of the community feel but a majority of advocates from within the community have pushed for this language while the greatest push against this language comes from those outside the community. We ask that you please respect how folx identify within this work. 

A final note on language is that since language is constantly evolving not everyone has the ability or resources to be updated on movements within language. Some of the interviewees in the book use common adjectives that allies and members of the mental illness community have stated are derogatory. We strive to not use that language personally, but we recognize that this is a newer conversation for the general public, so we chose to leave these statements within the interviews. By not censoring the interviews in relation to this topic it can be a learning process for all of us and a way for all of us to self-reflect on language.