A ha ha only serious term for non-disabled people, used primarily by disabled people with a somewhat twisted sense of humor. It can be shortened into TAB as a noun. While the term isn't intended to be derogatory, it can apparently be a bit scary to people who prefer to avoid thinking about this.

"Disability is a part of life. And some of us are gonna have it young, and some of us are gonna have it older." -"Special" Ed Roberts, disability rights activist, pioneer of the Independent Living Movement, and quadriplegic1

The fact is that all people are more likely than not to become disabled before they die. This could result from illness, injury, accident, stroke, aging, or drugs, but it will happen unless death is immediate after a freak accident or violent crime. Disabled people tend to be well aware of and reasonably comfortable with this, provided we've been disabled awhile. Non-disabled people tend to spend as little time thinking about it as possible, because the thought of being disabled is likely to be more unfamiliar and uncomfortable (often giving rise to bizarre speculations when they do think about it). The term temporarily able-bodied throws this fear back in the face of people who are used to viewing themselves as just plain able-bodied. It can also serve as a wake up call. It reminds people that disability is more commonplace and normal than they usually think it is.

Usage Notes: If you call someone temporarily able-bodied indiscriminately, you might be in for a well-deserved tongue lashing if they have a condition that wasn't apparent to you, such as fibromyalgia or even cancer. Be careful how you use it. If you are one of the temporarily able-bodied, it's perfectly acceptable to call yourself that. If you have cognitive disabilities of some kind, it can be interesting to remind physically disabled people that they're only temporarily able-minded, a fact that many seem to fear almost as much as most able-bodied people fear physical disability.

Example Usage: "My wife's disabled, and I am one of the temporarily able-bodied."


1 Ed Roberts, interviewed by Billy Golfus. "Special Ed" really was his nickname, probably arising from the fact that he was one of the first people to attend university in an iron lung.
When Billy Broke His Head ...And Other Tales of Wonder. Golfus, Billy. VHS. Fanlight Productions, 1994.