Yes. I do think that a form of denialism plays a role in why some efforts to reshape language euphemistically fail. I just wanted to emphasize that there are so

Yes. I do think that a form of denialism plays a role in why some efforts to reshape language euphemistically fail. I just wanted to emphasize that there are some other factors in play, and also suggest that there are ways of seeking respect and dignity (esp. for the disabled) that don't involve denialism. It is also super common for people to assume that disabled people can't do things they genuinely can (if often through extra time, effort, or special techniques). So there's a real underestimation phenomenon that disabled people often try to push back against politically, in addition to strategies (often from outside disability communities but sometimes, imo, from within) that seek equal dignity and rights through an erasure of real differences. Both are going on. I've honed in on disability here because I think it's one case (of many) of at least one kind of thing that's likely to get put on a euphemism treadmill: traits whose bearers are seen as making up a certain kind of person. Cancer I think we tend to see as incidental to who someone is, as opposed to some other things like reading ability, the capacity to walk, criminality, maybe certain aspects of personality, etc.