|
Outdated or Offensive |
Reason |
Proper or Accepted |
|---|---|---|
|
“The” name of group (disabled, blind, autistic) |
Does not reflect the
individuality, equality, or dignity of people with disabilities
|
People with disabilities
Deaf people
People who are blind People who have low vision |
|
Handicapped |
Disabilities don’t handicap: attitudes and architecture handicap |
People with disabilities |
|
Disabled Person |
Put person first, describe what a person is, not what a person has |
Person with a disability |
|
Normal, healthy, whole, able‐bodied (when speaking of the non‐disabled) |
Implies that a person with a disability isn’t normal |
Non‐disabled Person without a disability |
|
Hearing impaired |
Negative connotation of impaired
|
Deaf
Hard of Hearing Hearing loss
|
|
Wheelchair‐bound, confined |
Wheelchairs don’t confine, they make people mobile |
Uses a wheelchair, wheelchair user |
|
Retarded, Mentally Defective, Simple, Slow |
Stigmatizing. Implies that a person cannot learn |
Cognitive disability, developmental disability, intellectual disability |
|
Midget |
Considered offensive |
Person of short stature |
|
Cripple, Crippled |
Dehumanizing |
Has a disability, physical disability |
|
Suffers from |
Negative connotation of suffers |
Has a disability |
|
Admits she/he has a disability |
Disability is not something people admit to or needs to be admitted to |
Says she/he has a disability |
For an additional reference on people first language please visit:
http://www.dol.gov To navigate to this website go to Labor’s main website and go to the list of agencies on the left hand side and click on “ODEP”. Then go to the right side of the screen and click on “Publications”. Under factsheets click on “Disability and Workplace Culture” and then click on Effective Interaction: Communicating With and About People with Disabilities in the Workplace.