ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is to explore different disability languages and terminologies used in research in the field of adapted physical education (APE). In doing so, we will describe various disability models and the assumptions underlying them and how these assumptions lead to particular ways of understanding disability. We will offer examples of how these different models can be used in our research, as well as highlight the lack of coherence between the models that frame our work and the disability languages and terminologies we use. Our primary goal is to reinforce the importance of using language that is respectful and to emphasize the need to attend to the desires of communities and individuals who identify as experiencing disability and the ways in which they wish to be represented and, in particular, how we represent children.
