Why do people say “differently abled?”

As a disabled person, I’ve never liked this term. It feels like an attempt to ignore the reality that disability is a tearing apart, a loss (of health, of function, etc), and often, a separation from not only the rest of society but from hopes and dreams. The “dis” in disability is what makes it a challenge, and it what makes disabled people brave and strong for taking on that challenge every single day.

When I hear “differently abled,” what I don’t hear is acknowledgment of the real struggles that I face that an abled person does not. Disability does not give you different abilities from everyone else, it takes away abilities, opportunities, and liberties that everyone else has!

Do you use the term “differently abled” and if so, why? I’m genuinely curious to know what I’m missing here. I’m especially curious to know if any disabled people use the term “differently abled.”