It's the Person First, Then the Disability
What do you focus on: the wheelchair, the physical problems, or the person?
Let’s suppose you see an individual in a wheelchair who is unable to use the stairs and enter a building. Would you say, “There is a handicapped person who cannot find a ramp” or “There is a person with a disability who is unable to access the building?"
What do you think is the proper way to speak to or introduce a person who has a disability?
Think about how you would introduce someone who does not have a disability. You would say her name, where she resides, what she does, and what she is interested in. You would share if she likes swimming, eating Mexican food, or watching movies. Why introduce an individual with a disability in a different manner?
Each person has mental and physical characteristics. Only a handful of people want to be identified solely by their skill in playing a sport or by their appetite for a certain dish.
In writing and speaking, keep in mind that children and adults with disabilities are just like everybody else. They only happen to have a disability. Here are some tips for improving the language you use when referring to people with disabilities:
- Mention the person first before the disability
- Draw attention to their abilities, not limitations
- Use “people with disabilities” instead of “the disabled.” Make sure you do not label them as part of a disability group
- Do not overpraise, give excessive attention, or patronize people with disabilities
- Independence is important. As much as possible, let them speak for themselves and make their own choices
- Keep in mind that a disability is a functional limitation that interferes with an individual’s ability to hear, walk, talk, learn, etc.
