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Module 1: Introduction and Defining Disability

Person-First Language

Everyone deserves to be treated with respect
Everyone deserves to be treated with respect.

In this course and throughout your daily life, please be careful not to use negative labeling. The use of person-first language is mandatory in this class. Remember that words matter! Negative descriptors only perpetuate stereotypes and uphold long-standing obstacles to equality. Remember that disability is a medical diagnosis and does not define the individual. When you refer to a person by his or her disability or use terms such as “suffers from,” “afflicted with,” “victim,” “retarded,” “challenged,” “special needs,” or “handicapped,” you are devaluing and disrespecting the person, as well as perpetuating pity.

Person-first language is putting the person before the disability, describing what a person has, and not who a person is. For example, say:

  • “a person who has a disability,” instead of “a disabled person”;
  • “a person with cancer,” instead of “a cancer patient”; or
  • “a person with schizophrenia,” instead of “a person who suffers from schizophrenia” or, worse yet, “a schizophrenic.”
Remember that a disability is a medical diagnosis, not a label
Remember that a disability is a medical diagnosis, not a label

Here are more guidelines for person-first language (adapted from the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities):

  • Recognize that people with disabilities are ordinary people with common goals, such as a home, a job, and a family. Talk about people in ordinary terms.
  • Never equate a person with a disability—such as referring to someone as retarded, an epileptic, or quadriplegic. These labels are simply medical diagnoses.
  • Emphasize abilities, not limitations. For example, say “a man walks with crutches,” and not “he is crippled.”
  • Recognize that a disability is not a challenge to be overcome. Do not say people succeed in spite of a disability. Ordinary things and accomplishments do not become extraordinary just because they are done by a person with a disability. What is extraordinary are the lengths people with disabilities have to go through and the barriers they have to overcome to do the most ordinary things.
  • Use "handicap" to refer to a barrier created by people or the environment. Use "disability" to indicate a functional limitation that interferes with a person’s mental, physical, or sensory abilities, such as walking, talking, hearing, and learning. For example, people with disabilities who use wheelchairs are handicapped by stairs.
  • Do not refer to a person as bound to or confined to a wheelchair. Wheelchairs are liberating to people with disabilities because they provide mobility.
  • Do not use "special" to mean segregated, such as separate schools or buses for people with disabilities, or to suggest a disability itself makes someone special.
  • Avoid cute euphemisms such as "physically challenged," "inconvenienced," and "differently abled."
  • Promote understanding, respect, dignity and positive outlooks.

Other terminology can also be reframed. For example, instead of using the word “problem(s)” use “needs” or “supports”. For example, say:

  • “She needs behavior supports” or “requires behavior supports,” and
  • “She needs/requires large print,” instead of “has reading problems.”


Here are examples of other examples of person-first language (Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities):

Examples of what you should say.

Examples of what you should not say.

Say this:

Not this:

people with disabilities

the handicapped, the disabled

people without disabilities

normal, healthy, whole or typical people

person who has a congenital disability

person with a birth defect

person who has (or has been diagnosed with) . . .

person afflicted with, suffers from, a victim of . . .

person who has Down syndrome

Downs person, mongoloid, mongol

person who has (or has been diagnosed with) autism

the autistic

person with quadriplegia, person with paraplegia, person diagnosed with a physical disability

a quadriplegic, a paraplegic

person with a physical disability

a cripple

person of short stature, little person

a dwarf, a midget

person who is unable to speak, person who uses a communication device

dumb, mute

people who are blind, person who is visually impaired

the blind

person with a learning disability

learning disabled

person diagnosed with a mental health condition

crazy, insane, psycho, mentally ill, emotionally disturbed, demented

person diagnosed with a cognitive disability or with an intellectual and developmental disability

mentally retarded, retarded, slow, idiot, moron

student who receives special education services

special ed student, special education student

person who uses a wheelchair or a mobility chair

confined to a wheelchair, wheelchair bound

accessible parking, bathrooms, etc.

handicapped parking, bathrooms, etc.
 

Resource

Check out this video on person-first language. This video does a nice job discussing other appropriate language to keep in mind when speaking to a person with a disability.

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