Words and how we use them make a difference in the way we describe people and how we relate to them.
Words are important and powerful tools in shaping ideas, perceptions and attitudes.
Words are mirrors of society’s perceptions and attitudes. Some of the most difficult barriers people with disabilities face are other people’s attitudes.
Language use has changed over the years. Disparaging and dated words have been replaced with precise terms which have specific meanings, are not interchangeable and respect people with disabilities.
People often don’t know how to refer to people with disabilities. They may be embarrassed or afraid they might say the wrong thing or they simply may not know the proper words.
General Guidelines:
- Put the person before the disability.
- A “disability” is a functional limitation.
- A “handicap” is an environmental or attitudinal barrier.
- The word disabled is an adjective not a noun. People are not conditions. Use terms like “people with disabilities” rather than “the disabled”.
- Use words that are non-judgmental, non-emotional and are accurate descriptions.
- Do not use trendy euphemisms – expressions such as ‘physically challenged”, “differently able”, and “special” are generally seen by people with disabilities as patronizing, avoiding reality and inaccurate. Keep to simple language, such as “people with disabilities”.
- Do not use “victim of”, “suffers from”, “confined to a wheelchair”, or “afflicted”. These terms diminish the person’s dignity and magnify the disability.
- Avoid labeling people with disabilities as courageous, superhuman, poor or unfortunate.
-
Use:
-
Person with a developmental disability
-
Person who is blind or partially sighted.
-
Person with a hearing impairment
-