Guide to terminology

This guide is designed to facilitate searches by providing old and new terminology.

Variations in names of organizations are also included, to facilitate searches. Perkins School for the Blind, for example, has changed names four times since its’ founding. Some archival terminology is defined in this guide as well.

 

While some of the terms are outdated and could be harmful to some users, they are included for two reasons. One, the terminology serves as a historical record of the time it was used. Two, as a consequence of that, they provide an important access point for searching the historical record in which they were created.

B

Birth conditions

We use the term birth conditions for conditions causing medical concerns or disabilities that begin at birth, rather than the older term "birth defects" 

C

Circa

The term circa is used to denote approximate time periods when specific dates are unknown. Circa 1600, or circa 1880s-1900s are two examples. 

D

Deafblind (spelling of)

The term 'deafblind' is spelled and punctuated in different ways by different individuals and organizations. 

We use deafblind and deafblindness (no hyphen) in subject headings, summaries, and other metadata. We capitalize it in subject headings, and do not capitalize it as part of a sentence. 

Titles, publishers, and organization names reflect the spelling used by the author, individual, or organization. These may include deaf-blind, DeafBlind, Deaf-Blindness, deaf-blindness, etc. 

If in doubt, the most commonly used are deafblind, deafblindness, deaf-blind, and deaf-blindness. Our collection does not restrict searches based on capitalization.

F

Finding aid

Guide to the physical collection that lets researchers know what is in a collection.

I

Indigenous peoples

This catalog uses the term Indigenous peoples to refer to those who have been present in a place since before colonization. Older terms (Native American, American Indians, etc.) may be used in titles of books or articles, or publication titles.

R

Rubella (German measles)

Rubella (also known as German measles) is a virus that most commonly causes a mild illness with symptoms that include a low-grade fever, sore throat, or a rash. However, if someone contracts rubella while pregnant, it can cause a miscarriage or significant health consequences in a developing baby. 

Rubella (despite the name) is not related to measles. It is one of the diseases included in the MMR vaccine (for mumps, measles, and rubella). 
In the United States, the last major epidemic was in 1962 to 1965 (peaking in 1964) leading to a significant number of children (more than 3000) becoming deafblind. This led to significant increases in the deafblind program at Perkins, and at other schools for the blind and schools for the deaf around the country.

Rubella is still endemic in some countries, and so is a continuing cause of deafblindness in those areas.

T

Tactile graphics

Tactile graphics are used for all types of tactile aids, charts, maps, and other items.