Imagine that you have a disability. You also think of yourself as an artist, a brother, a pizza lover, and a table tennis champion. Your disability does not define who you are. Unfortunately, labels are often placed on people with disabilities and they can carry negative connotations. Saying that someone is “handicapped” immediately lumps them into a vague category that suggests huge limitations. At Easter Seals Crossroads, we encourage People First Language. Here are some examples:
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Acceptable Term: |
Instead of: |
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She has autism. |
She’s autistic. |
|
He has a disability. |
He’s handicapped. |
|
He uses a wheelchair. |
He’s wheelchair bound. |
|
She has a brain injury. |
She’s brain damaged. |
|
He has a cognitive disability. |
He’s mentally retarded. |
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She receives special ed services. |
She’s a special ed kid. |
As you can see, People First Language puts emphasis on the person you are talking about, not their disability. This promotes respectful language to use when addressing people who happen to have disabilities.
For more information and examples, visit Disability is Natural.
Thanks so much for doing this blog and including me; I often encourage the staff on the NEST Project to focus on the value of people first language. As an educator, it’s been interesting to observe the various trends in both employment and the schools over the past 30 years. Both VR and BDDS are recognizing the importance of respecting people first language when involved with people with disabilities.
I can’t agree more with this! I have been blind since birth, and lately I’ve seen so much disability-first language within the blindness “community” that it drives me nuts! I was always taught to put the person first, rather than his/her disability. People with visual impairments have always said that their visual impairment/blindness is just a small part of who they are, yet they torpedo that message by saying things like “we the blind,” “blind people want this and that,” etc. etc. etc.