sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or . By doing so, a disabled individual intentionally chooses an identity rather than allowing others even well meaning others, such as family, friends and medical professionals to do so for them. Well send you a link to a feedback form. In general, there is no hyphen after inter, so interabled is the correct usage (not inter-abled). Older buildings that lack ramps for wheelchair access, for example, present a handicap for people who use wheelchairs. Moron, idiot, cretin, mongo all fall under that as well as retard. or man with a disability. I think the important thing though is NOT whether either is "politically correct" but what is helpful or hurtful! The meaning of POLITICALLY CORRECT is conforming to a belief that language and practices which could offend political sensibilities (as in matters of sex or race) should be eliminated. So the correct term is " Disability Rights .". Idiot, imbecile, moron, and retarded for developmentally disabled or intellectually disabled deaf and dumb for deaf and non-speaking or non-verbal crazy, nut, looney, insane for mentally ill or mentally disabled cripple, gimp for physically disabled or just disabled. And others need to recognize the limits of their power to regulate this practice. PDF Respectful Disability Language: Here's What's Up! Some terms, like special needs, are popular in certain circles, for certain purposes, but almost entirely irrelevant to actual disabled people who are old enough to have developed their own understanding of their disabilities. use a normal tone of voice, don't patronise or talk down; don't be too precious or too politically correct - being super-sensitive to the right and wrong language . is a former member of the APA's Committee on Disability Issues in Psychology (CDIP). Specific disorders are types of mental illness and should be used whenever possible (for example, when not referring to people with different mental health disorders collectively). "Person with a Disability" is a more inclusive, less biased term to describe someone who is disabled . Why you shouldn't use 'differently-abled' anymore - BetterUp When talking about people without disabilities, it is okay to say "people without disabilities." We choose the words we want to use for ourselves, not others! Deaf-Mute, Deaf and Dumb, Hard of Hearing, Hearing Impaired, Disabled More Appropriate: accept people for who they are, including that they have a disability. 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). "Visual impairment" is considered the accepted and politically correct term for describing the whole spectrum of vision, or the lack thereof, experienced by people with a visual disability. A little person is one of the more than 200 medical conditions known as dwarfism. CDC is aware that some individuals with disabilities prefer to use identity-first terminology, which means a disability or disability status is referred to first. 23) warns that "the word special in relationship to those with disabilities is now widely considered offensive because it euphemistically stigmatizes" persons with disabilities. Stakeholders are persons or groups who have an interest or concern in a project, activity, or course of action. When I was growing up, my parents used to say that the kids that made fun of me didnt have a good excuse for being the way they were and that their condition would be far more difficult to live with as they matured (if they did at all)! No easy answers. Disabled people who choose identity-first language claim and celebrate, rather than distance themselves, from their disabilities. The term is " disability rights " - not " disabled rights " or " handicapped rights " simply because historically and politically that's the term that the activists themselves have come to call it. What is another word for mentally challenged? Check benefits and financial support you can get, Find out about the Energy Bills Support Scheme, nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3, confined to a wheelchair, wheelchair-bound, mentally handicapped, mentally defective, retarded, subnormal, with a learning disability (singular) with learning disabilities (plural), people with visual impairments; blind people; blind and partially sighted people, an epileptic, diabetic, depressive, and so on, person with epilepsy, diabetes, depression or someone who has epilepsy, diabetes, depression, someone with restricted growth or short stature, use a normal tone of voice, dont patronise or talk down, dont be too precious or too politically correct being super-sensitive to the right and wrong language and depictions will stop you doing anything, never attempt to speak or finish a sentence for the person you are talking to, address disabled people in the same way as you talk to everyone else, speak directly to a disabled person, even if they have an interpreter or companion with them. What if you want to use the actual meaning of the word in a correct context, like retard growth? The other strives to be more sober, but also elegant and comfortable when spoken and written. Theres nothing wrong with trying to avoid offending others. Avoid phrases like suffers from which suggest discomfort, constant pain and a sense of hopelessness. A disability is a condition or quality linked to a particular person. This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inclusive-communication/inclusive-language-words-to-use-and-avoid-when-writing-about-disability. Use disabled people not the disabled as the collective term. Disability is the consequence of an impairment that may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental, or some combination of these. Now, it's just a term that you should be staying way the hell away from (see this post) "Disability" is a particular way of seeing, hearing, feeling, thinking, moving, learning, sensing, being. The most essential guideline for disability language is to use whatever words each individual disabled person prefers. . Be aware that not every family is the same, and that some children are not being raised by their biological parents. Frankly, that answer sounds a bit politically correct. In the words of Lawrence Carter-Long: A need isn't special if other people get to take the same thing for granted. But the way we refer to other people affects how we think of them. These conditions, or impairments, may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, sensory, or a combination of multiple factors. Avoid the term "handicapped," as some find it insensitive. Non-U.S.-born or foreign-born persons may also be used to refer to individuals born in a country other than the U.S., similar to the international migrant concept. Emily Ladau of Words I Wheel By had some very prophetic and profound thoughts on this. But after 8 years of blogging, it will take me forever to find every instance where it says special needs and replace it. A word reclaimed. Use LGBTQ community (and not, for example, gay community) to reflect the diversity of the community unless a specific sub-group is meant to be referenced. . The correct term is just "Europeans". Rather than using terms such as disabled person, handicapped people, a crippled person, use terms such as people/persons with disabilities, a person with a disability, or a person with a visual impairment. Consider racial/ethnic groups as proper nouns and capitalize (for example, Black, White). They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. The term "mental retardation" is finally being eliminated from the international classifications of diseases and disorders. The concept has been discussed, disputed, criticized, and satirized by commentators from across the political spectrum. 140 Synonyms & Antonyms of DISABLED - Merriam-Webster Some really lay into me and brow beat me over it. It is hard to pinpoint exactly when the politically correct movement in the disability community started, but the movement has stirred some controversy. These cookies perform functions like remembering presentation options or choices and, in some cases, delivery of web content that based on self-identified area of interests. There is, and it is known as identity-first language. Dumb, mute ; Person who cannot speak, has difficulty speaking, uses synthetic speech, is non-vocal, non-verbal . No. The correct term is "disability"a person with a disability. What term do we use for disabled person *? They are not necessarily more politically correct., More Appropriate: a person has a physical, sensory or mental disability, Less Appropriate: inspirational, courageous. Thank you for taking the time to confirm your preferences. This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. What are politically correct terms? Is there a way for anyone to navigate disability language clearly, safely, and respectfully? My sons needs are not special. In regards to accessible facilities: Acceptable: accessible toilets/parking, parking for blue or orange badge holders. Disability and disabled work elegantly simply to describe the shared social identity of all people who have any kind of disability. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website. Its part of you and that part is important. For the purposes of these guidelines, CDC promotes person-first language, but also promotes an awareness that language changes with time and individuals within groups sometimes disagree about the preferred language used to describe themselves. Accessible parking, parking for people with disabilities . (Sorry, the link I had is no longer valid and I cannot find it). But that girl using a wheelchair says gimp or crip. Roll with their example. They say little about people as individuals and tend to reinforce stereotypes of disabled people as patients or unwell. As Michelle Swan says in her essay My Needs are not Special, "My needs are not special, they are just my needs, and I have the same right to have my needs met as any other person.". The Backlash. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance. They are somebody's son, somebody's daughter. The question resists all attempts to forge broad consensus. I will still make mistakes. Politically correct words or terms are used to show differences between people or groups in a non-offensive way. Its evolving. 1. Comment: Terms implies mental incapacitation occurs with hearing loss and/or speech impairment. Wed like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. This site strives to "unpack" - or better understand - disability by trying to go deeper into disability thought, culture, opinions and experience through interviews, essays and media. Personnally, I like . Lawrence Carter-Long, who founded the movement called Disabled, Say the Word, says, "The language we use mirrors the ways we think," he says. The word has been around for centuries, but was not used to refer to people with disabilities until the late 1800s. They're just in trouble, but there's a way to help them.". By that I mean they assume that most of the applicants will have access to the curriculum (even if its lousy) and can participate in whatever afterschool programs are offered (even if theres a limited list). 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. To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address: We take your privacy seriously. Nothing is ever 100%. Language in communication products should reflect and speak to the needs of people in the audience of focus. Lets try and follow a story arc. Whats the right way to refer to someone in a wheelchair, or a someone who cant see, or see well, or a person who cant hear, or hear well, someone who doesnt speak, who has noticeable trouble understanding things, someone who is sick a lot, or always in pain, or who just seems strange or off in some undefinable way? 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. Comment: Terms are outdated and stigmatizing. Indeed, adopting an identity-firstapproach instead of a person-first approach is a way to counter the criticism that the latter can occasionally imply that there is something inherently negative about disability. Build flexibility into communications and surveys to allow full participation. In the meantime, the best thing for all of us, disabled or not, is to follow these kinds of basic guidelines, listen to disabled people, and relax a little. This is our third Summer Blog Hop Series, and I want to kick this up a notch. The term alien (person who is not a citizen of the United States) may be stigmatizing in some contexts and should only be used in technical documents and when referring to or using immigration law terminology. I will use them interchangeably too. Published: 2009-01-28 - Updated: 2020-05-03 Author: Disabled World | Contact: www.disabled-world.com Peer-Reviewed Publication: N/A Additional References: Disability Awareness Publications Synopsis: Examples and information on the language of disability awareness to make your talks more sensitive, accurate and inclusive . Avoid medical labels. Its also an understandable but ultimately wrongheaded effort to promote equality not by elevating disabled people, but in a sense trying to deny the reality of disability as a meaningful concept or experience. Not all members of the disability community think person-first language is the best choice. Almost no term is as insulting as a non-disabled person patiently or aggressively explaining to a disabled . A disability is any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or effectively interact with the world around them (socially or materially). 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. Here's why you shouldn't use them, and what to say instead. Hurt. 4 years ago, I wrote a post calledThe Choice to Suffer. Lets try and write our way through the whole arc of our connection with disability, and then lets gather the posts at the, Read More Summer Blog Hop Series: Challenge!Continue, [vc_row][vc_column][vc_message message_box_style=outline style=round]This is an opinion post about recognizing and leaning into moments that can transform us, specifically, moments related to disability acceptance. It is a means through which many of us live our lives, a platform of existence. Disabled is a describing word and should not be used to categorize a group of individuals. Its not something special we do for them. However, she actually is not handicapped herself; rather, the handicapping element is in the environment, not within her. They tend to describe everyone and therefore no one.) Dunn also blogs regularly for Psychology Today's "Head of the Class.". Which means, it should no longer be socially acceptable (was it ever . It would be pretty hilarious if someone talked about "African-American-Europeans". Worked for me. Emphasizes the heart string or telethon-ish perspective. Ask the people you are with which term they prefer if they have a disability. One reasonable possibility is to use person-first and identity-first language interchangeably unless or until you know that in a given situation one is clearly preferred. Deaf? Disabled? What To Call Those With Hearing Loss - AARP Refugee and migrant are often used interchangeably. More Appropriate: blind, legally blind, partially sighted, vision impaired, Less Appropriate: deaf and dumb, deaf-mute, dummy. "It is fine to say 'person with a disability,' but terms like 'challenged' and 'the disabled' have fallen out of favor." When in doubt about what term to use, ask. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. For example, do not use refugee if you mean immigrant.. What is the politically correct term for learning disability? Respect disabled peoples actual language preferences. What is the politically correct way to say blind? - Sage-Advices Why We Don't Use the Terms "the Homeless" or "Homeless People" In Australia people with disability want to be acknowledged as people first. Disability . It may refer to a physical, sensory, or mental condition. More Appropriate: walks with a cane, uses crutches, has a disabled/handicapped hand, Less Appropriate: crazy, insane, psycho, nut, maniac, former mental patient. PDF DISABILITY TERMINOLOGY CHART - California Is saying "the disabled" or "disabled people" acceptable, for example? 7 Alternatives to Calling Someone a "Senior Citizen" Do not call someone 'brave' or 'heroic' simply for living with a disability. The term has often been used derisively . Because many people have asked me if its still politically correct to use the term special needs, and what to say instead. The main alternative is to be factual and descriptive. Avoid using vulnerable when describing people with disabilities. Term Now Used: disabled person, person with a disability. 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. So, what do you do? Note that it is widely used as a legal term in documents, on signs, etc. Unhandicap Your Language. Avoid passive, victim words. Almost no term is as insulting as a non-disabled person patiently or aggressively explaining to a disabled person why their own way of talking about themselves is wrong.