Some try to use language to reshape the entire concept of disability, or redefine it out of existence somehow. I am sure that if you combed through every single blog post, youll find phrases that are ableist. Refugee and migrant are often used interchangeably. As a counselor, it's also a place in which I offer you wellness, support and resources. A politically correct word or expression is used instead of another one to avoid being offensive: Some people think that "fireman" is a sexist term, and prefer the politically correct term "firefighter." . Don't use insensitive terms ("crazy," "insane," "psycho," "nuts," "deranged") to describe someone displaying unusual or violent behaviors, or who may have a mental illness . Used as a put-down in most cases. PDF Respectful Disability Language: Here's What's Up! (The debate over the use of handicap versus disabled has not been settled. Dont worry we wont send you spam or share your email address with anyone. Finally, non-disabled people shouldnt lecture disabled people on correct terminology. An impairment may just mean that some things are done in a different way. Doing so hinders understanding and can even trivialize other, more important qualities possessed by the individual. It is okay to use words or phrases such as "disabled," "disability," or "people with disabilities" when talking about disability issues. More Appropriate: Sue has arthritis, diabetes, paralyzed, has paralysis in her legs, Less Appropriate: Bob is afflicted with, stricken with, suffers from, a victim of polio, spinal cord injury, AIDS. Do not use disabilities as nouns to refer to people. They werent viewed as insults at the time. Term Now Used: disabled person, person with a disability. Disabled not 'special needs': Experts explain why we shouldn't say it We recommend using this section as a guide and inspiration to reflect upon word choice and choose words carefully, inclusively, and appropriately for a specific use and audience. Disability Disability is a term used to describe people who have a mental or physical impairment which has a long-term effect on their ability to carry out day-to-day activities. At the end of that post, I said this:Up next: Ill be tackling special needs. Because that vernacular is seeing a shift too. Disabled people have the right to do everything we do. Learning Differences: More than a politically correct term for learning Dunn, D. S. (2015). 140 Synonyms & Antonyms of DISABLED - Merriam-Webster So, what do you do? A second meaning of this adjective is inferior. (Often disabled individuals will use these terms in reference to each other but for others to use them, it might be similar to a white person using the term the N word. The preferred version is "disabled.". Are you friggin kidding me? It can also mean unwilling or unable to perceive or understand. CDC twenty four seven. This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inclusive-communication/inclusive-language-words-to-use-and-avoid-when-writing-about-disability. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. By coming up with all kinds of phrases and words to avoid saying disabled/disability inherently implies that those words are so negative, they just shouldnt be said. Special needs WAS an educational term, not a disability term. They say people with disabilities and you say disabled.. Person-first and identity-first language: Developing psychologists' cultural competence using disability language. In regards to accessible facilities: Acceptable: accessible toilets/parking, parking for blue or orange badge holders. Humanizingphrases emphasize the person even if the adjective of the disability is included. She raises tremendous amounts of money for families wanting to adopt children with Down syndrome from Eastern Europe (thus, Read More Sibling Series: Patti Guest Posts in an Interview with her kidsContinue, Im really glad you like it! IMHO, and not too much of a mouth-ful (as developmentally disabled tends to be). Field Placement & Career Accommodations and Resources. Saying disabled is fine; person with a disability is fine too, but see how the person wants to be referred to as. It is a means through which many of us live our lives, a platform of existence. Not all members of the disability community think person-first language is the best choice. To help us improve GOV.UK, wed like to know more about your visit today. Some groups consider the term people of color as an unnecessary and binary option (people of color vs. White people), and some people do not identify with the term people of color. If you describe one group, use the same type of description for all groups being compared. Traumatic Brain Injury Resources and Blog Posts, Cool Cats: Voices from the Disability Community, International Alliance of Writers for Down Syndrome: The T21 Alliance, The Right Things to Say to Someone with a Chronic Illness, The famous person or situation or whatever apologizes. That makes it tricky, you know, for allies to the disabled/Down syndrome parent community. Nothing about disability indicates ability (see. You can read more of her thoughts in that link. I was at an event yesterday, and some stewards were helping me up a hill. In itself, its not a negative or a positive necessarily in terms of describing the person or experience, but something which combines with everything else to make you, YOU. What Is The Politically Correct Term For Disabled Word and phrases that have been accepted and entered into our day to day vocabulary that enhance the inclusion of individuals or groups of people, usually found in minorities in our societies and communities. This claiming can be about disability more generally or with regards to a particular disability. General term used for a functional limitation that interferes with a person's ability for example, to walk, lift, hear, or learn. Calling my son anything else does not make him any less disabled. Answer (1 of 5): I think handicapped is more commonly disliked because some people think the etymology is "cap in hand" i.e. It happens something like this with the Down syndrome community: Someone famous says something offensive (- usually involving the word, retard), With the greater (cross-disability) community, its more of a matter of never ending-ness. Members of Deaf culture want their label to be capitalized with a "D," which is a means for establishing unity and community. "Handi-capable", "People of all abilities", "Different abilities", "Differently abled" can be lumped together with "special needs.". "There are going to be readers out there, for sure, who are going to think that we really mean learning disabilities and we're saying learning differences to be politically correct," said Alex Dreier, an Instructional Design Lead at N.C. State's Friday Institute for Educational Innovation. The term "mental retardation" is finally being eliminated from the international classifications of diseases and disorders. Its not negative. Solo mom to 3 (one with Down syndrome, one on the spectrum). Even as I describe people as being visually impaired, I have already stepped into word doo-doo. thats so awesome/not awesome and YES. They referred to me as the wheelchair and my four year-old shouts, Shes my Mum! I was really proud and the dudes were embarrassed, and learned something. Everyone is pretty sick of it. You can change your cookie settings at any time. CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website. What is the politically correct term for disabled? Cookies used to make website functionality more relevant to you. In that case, its just disability students with disabilities, disability in education, etc. Avoid passive, victim words. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. The following is intended as suggestion, not censorship, in choosing more appropriate terms. Wheelchair users may not view themselves as confined to a wheelchair try thinking of it as a mobility aid instead. PDF DISABILITY TERMINOLOGY CHART - California More Appropriate: Sam has epilepsy, Tony has cerebral palsy (CP), Helen has a learning disability, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Less Appropriate: special, person has special needs, Comment: Term is patronizing and distancing by those with disabilities. 2. ), More Appropriate: people with disabilities, deaf people, blind people, persons with a developmental disability, Less Appropriate: Sue is an arthritic, diabetic, paraplegic. Disabled. They are not necessarily more politically correct., More Appropriate: a person has a physical, sensory or mental disability, Less Appropriate: inspirational, courageous. Some groups within the disability community, which is arguably the largest minority group in the U.S., have already established their language preferences. or man with a disability. A disability is present when activities usually performed by people (such as walking, talking, reading or learning) are in some way restricted. While some words/phrases are commonly used by many, including those with disabilities, usage is likely due to habit rather than intentional meaning. Questions like these are important, particularly because disability represents a form of diversity, similar to one's gender, race, ethnicity, social class, religion and so on. 2023 A Day In Our Shoes with Lisa Lightner, Disability Acceptance, Advocacy and Activism. There are a dozen ways to analyze and justify or criticize this intellectually, but its also just the way things work with people who are marginalized or oppressed. Deaf-Mute, Deaf and Dumb, Hard of Hearing, Hearing Impaired, Disabled Bear in mind, of course, that some challenges remain. Avoiding the word inherently implies negativity. More Appropriate: Bob has polio, has a spinal cord injury, has AIDS, Less Appropriate: confined to a wheelchair, wheelchair-bound, wheel-chaired. Knowing how to sensitively refer to members of diverse groups is also important. People are individuals and deserve to be mentioned before or instead of their possible disabilities. Consider using words other than stakeholder when appropriate for your audience and subject matter, recognizing it may not always be possible to do so. Take note of their choices in written language. More Appropriate: people who are developmentally disabled have Downs Syndrome, Less Appropriate: Sam is epileptic, Tony is CP (cerebral palsied),- spastic, Helen is LD (learning disabled), is AD/HD. Instead, Im taking cues from advocates who are disabled themselves. As a nephew of a Downs uncle (whom I am proudly named after), and an enthusiastic supporter of the community, long-time S.O. Damaged. Shouldnt he have the right to enter every door that I enter, without a hassle? Im learning. For example, the National Federation for the Blind has long advocated for identity-firstlanguage, preferring "blind person" over the person-firstconstructions like "individual with blindness" or "person who is blind." You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link. We are all at different points on our journey and learning and language and vernacular are constantly changing. Deaf-mute - Wikipedia That is, people outside of our community who care about us and our kids, people who want to be our friends and allies, people who want to do and say the right thing. The concept has been discussed, disputed, criticized, and satirized by commentators from across the political spectrum. 56. Less Appropriate: (the) disabled, (the) deaf, (the) blind, (the) mentally retarded, Comment: Terms describe a group only in terms of their disabilities (adjective) and not as people (noun). And looking back, person first language seems to have been promoted mostly by non-disabled people for our benefit, not by us. Is saying "the disabled" or "disabled people" acceptable, for example? Politically correct Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster Thank you for taking the time to confirm your preferences. Or, we can use generic terms like disability or disabled, that at least attempt to encompass all kinds of physical, mental, cognitive, learning, or sensory disabilities.