Urban design for neurodiversity
Introduction
Functional diversity is an alternative term to disability that has begun to be used at the initiative of some affected people, and is intended to replace others whose semantics some consider pejorative, such as "disability" or "handicap." This is a change towards non-negative terminology on functional diversity.[1] The term was proposed and coined by Javier Romañach Cabrero at the Independent Living Forum, in January 2005.[2].
Functional diversity could also be understood as a phenomenon, fact or characteristic present in society that, by definition, would affect all its members equally, because during childhood and old age, all people are dependent. Given that in society there are people with different capacities, including great variations of these in the same individual throughout their life, it is possible to affirm that, at a given moment, functional diversity exists in society in the same way that cultural, sexual,[3] or generational diversity is observed.
The terminological change has also given rise to a new way of understanding the phenomenon and has meant the description of a Diversity Model. Instead, the use of dignity, respect and recognition for differences not only physical is proposed (and which lead to awareness and affirmative actions regarding people with disabilities in the labor, medical, social and cultural fields); but also to the dignified respect and recognition of all those forms of social, racial, cultural, gender, age, and religious expression expressed in human nature.
Background
There are many words widely used in different areas to refer to the group of people with functional diversity. The most used in Spain is "Disabled": parking spaces reserved for the disabled, toilets for the disabled, pensions for the disabled, residences for the disabled, etc. Both in the media and on the streets, people with functional diversity are part of a "less valid" group, or one that is "worth less."
On the other hand, this terminology persists in legal texts and terms such as incapacitation, disability, handicap, disability (partial, total, absolute, major disability), handicap and dependency are used. All of them highlight the negative side of a human reality.
The official term to refer to people with functional diversity is, for now, "people with disabilities", which is the concept included by the World Health Organization in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health[4] and that international legislation[5] and the associations representing people with functional diversity use in a majority.[6].