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Why It’s Important
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,1 61 million adults in the United States live with a disability, which equates to roughly 1 in 4 adults. Disability is more common in adults ages 65 and older, women, and non-Hispanic American Indians/Alaska Natives. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics shows 19% of undergraduates in 2015-2016 reported having a disability.2 Disability inclusion involves understanding the relationship between the way people function and how they participate in society.3
Disability Terminology
When communicating about disability, keep the following general tips in mind:
- Avoid the term “special needs” because it’s considered an ineffective euphemism4 and perceived more negatively than the word “disabled.”
- Ask if an individual is willing to disclose their disability. Do not assume.
- Emphasize abilities, not limitations.
- Ask individuals what their preferred identifiers or labels may be, and avoid using recently coined words such as “diversability” and “handicapable” unless the most affected individuals request that you do. There is no universal agreement on the use of terms — proceed with caution.
- Only use “patient” if the person is actively receiving medical treatment. A disability is not an illness, and people with disabilities are not necessarily patients.
- Use language that emphasizes the need for accessibility, rather than the presence of a disability.
- Example: “an accessible restroom” vs. “a disabled restroom.”
Also be sure to completely avoid the following terminology:
- Don’t use offensive terms such as “freak,” “r*tard (or any construction with “t*rd” in it),” “spaz,” “lame,” “imbecile,” “vegetable,” “crazy,” “insane,” or “psycho” — these words often reflect imprecision about something negative or derogatory unrelated to mental health.
- Avoid using the terms “cripple” or “crippled” unless describing the crip movement or if used in a direct quote.
- Avoid using “homebound/housebound” unless it’s used in a direct quote.
- Don’t use “nonspeaking” or “nonverbal” without first asking the person or someone who knows them how they would like to be described.
- Do not use “mongoloid” to refer to someone with Down syndrome. This applies even to direct quotes.
- Avoid the term “burden” when referring to helping or caring for a person with a disability.
| Don’t Use | Do Use |
|---|---|
| suffers from | has, is managing |
| afflicted with, stricken with, victim of | living with |
| handicapped, handicapable, or differently abled person | disabled person, person with a disability |
| handicap | disability |
| is wheelchair-bound, is confined to a wheelchair | uses a wheelchair |
| abnormality, defect, impairment | condition |
| severe | significant |
| demented person, dementing, dements, senile person, senility | person with dementia, person living with dementia; when possible, be specific about the disease, such as someone with Huntington’s disease |
| normal, healthy, whole | people without disabilities, nondisabled |
| hunchbacked | person with a spinal curvature |
| deformed person, person with defects, defective person | person who has a physical disability |
| Don’t Use |
|---|
| suffers from |
| afflicted with, stricken with, victim of |
| handicapped, handicapable, or differently abled person |
| handicap |
| is wheelchair-bound, is confined to a wheelchair |
| abnormality, defect, impairment |
| severe |
| demented person, dementing, dements, senile person, senility |
| normal, healthy, whole |
| hunchbacked |
| deformed person, person with defects, defective person |
| Do Use |
|---|
| has, is managing |
| living with |
| disabled person, person with a disability |
| disability |
| uses a wheelchair |
| condition |
| significant |
| person with dementia, person living with dementia; when possible, be specific about the disease, such as someone with Huntington’s disease |
| people without disabilities, nondisabled |
| person with a spinal curvature |
| person who has a physical disability |
People-First Language vs. Identity-First Language
People-first language avoids defining people in terms of their disability. For example, “a person living with a disability” instead of “a disabled person.” Identity-first language means the disability is mentioned first. For example, “a blind person” instead of “a person who is blind.”
The National Center on Disability and Journalism recommends5 asking the person with a disability how they prefer to be described. If that is not possible, consider asking a spokesperson for the organization representing the relevant disability for preferred terminology.
While it’s always best to confirm directly what type of language a person or community prefers,6 we recommend the following usage when direct confirmation isn’t possible.
| Condition / Identifying Characteristic | Generally Preferred Language | Example | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| autism | identity-first | autistic person | Avoid using the phrases “high-functioning” and “low-functioning” to describe autistic people. |
| deafness | identity-first | Deaf students | “Deaf” is capitalized when referring to Deaf culture. The word is lowercased when referring to the audiological condition of total or major hearing loss. |
| blindness, visual impairment | identity-first | blind student (if legally blind), visually impaired student (in other instances) | Unless the person refers to themself as legally blind, the terms “low vision,” “limited vision,” or “visually impaired” should be used. |
| dwarfism | identity-first | dwarf student | Do not use “vertically challenged” or “midget.” |
| ADHD | people-first | students with ADHD | Only identify a person with ADHD if it’s medically diagnosed. |
| dyslexia | people-first | student with dyslexia | Only identify a person with dyslexia if it’s medically diagnosed. |
| paraplegic | people-first | person with paraplegia | Sometimes people with paraplegia refer to themselves as a “para.” In those cases, use the word in quotes. |
| psychosis | people-first | person experiencing psychosis, person experiencing a psychotic episode | Avoid using “psychotic” as an adjective to describe a person. |
Neurodiversity
Merriam-Webster defines neurodiversity7 as “individual differences in brain functioning regarded as normal variations within the human population.”
Because neurodiversity is a new term, consider including the definition when using it, and remember that not everyone prefers the term.
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, May 15). Disability impacts all of us.
- National Center for Education Statistics. (Retrieved 2023, October 23). Students with disabilities.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, September 16). Disability inclusion.
- Gernsbacher, M. A., Raimond, A. R., Balinghasay, M. T., Boston, J. S. (2016, December 19). “Special needs” is an ineffective euphemism. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications.
- National Center on Disability and Journalism. (2021, August). Disability language style guide.
- ADA Knowledge Translation Center. (Retrieved on 2023, October 23). Guidelines for writing about people with disabilities.
- Merriam-Webster. (Retrieved on 2023, October 23). Neurodiversity.