Comment: People with disabilities are not collectively inspirational or courageous. What if you want to use the actual meaning of the word in a correct context, like retard growth? 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. What if you SUCK and just MESS UP and someone catches you and you are proved to be a COMPLETELY INSENSITIVE and HURTFUL HUMAN BEING?!!!!!! Deaf-mute is a term which was used historically to identify a person who was either deaf and used sign language or both deaf and could not speak.The term continues to be used to refer to deaf people who cannot speak an oral language or have some degree of speaking ability, but choose not to speak because of the negative or unwanted attention atypical voices sometimes attract. Terms like differently abled, physically or mentally challenged, exceptional, and special needs are generally well-intended, at least on the surface. People who use wheelchairs go for walks and people with visual impairments may be very pleased or not to see you. Disability itself does not create a strong person, that strength comes from within the person. You are a real hero!") If the word is okay with YOU, will it be okay with THEM? Somewhere around 15-20% of the human population is disabled. How should nondisabled people refer to disabled persons? In 2013, Dunn received the American Psychological Foundation's Charles L. Brewer Award for Distinguished Teaching of Psychology. Its the constant little pin-pricks of being called what we specifically ask to NOT be called from the handi-capable, special needs, the references to wheelchair bound, and the differently-abled.. They say little about people as individuals and tend to reinforce stereotypes of disabled people as patients or unwell. Used as a put-down in most cases. But after 8 years of blogging, it will take me forever to find every instance where it says special needs and replace it. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. Bear in mind, of course, that some challenges remain. Please contact us with any questions or comments at HEGuidingPrinciples@cdc.gov. Similarly, placing people with disabilities on a pedestal ("You are so brave to keep trying despite your disability! They're just in trouble, but there's a way to help them.". 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? Disability Language Style Guide | National Center on Disability and I dont know what to say, really, because I know if I tell you something, someone else will be telling you something different. What Are the Politically Correct Terms For Students With Disabilities It epitomizes how far the disability community has come. In everyday life, some people use the term handicapor refer to people with disabilities as the handicapped. As with other marginalized groups, we should know by now that refusing to acknowledge or talk about disability as a real experience doesnt make life better for disabled people. A little person is one of the more than 200 medical conditions known as dwarfism. It turns out that the best choice is simply to call people what they prefer to be called. 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 . 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. Dont call us special needs. Our needs are not special, they are human. Note: Tribes, American Indian and Alaska Native urban communities, and federal agencies define AI/AN Elders aged 55 years. Its not new at all. Avoid using vulnerable when describing people with disabilities. The Backlash. Being disabled is not something to be ashamed of, and its not something to be scared of; its just a fact of life. But many disabled people increasingly feel that their disabilities are not invaders or merely inconvenient attributes, but something more central to who they are. 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. Respect disabled peoples actual language preferences. The rules and implications of disability language are always evolving. A disability may be present from birth, or occur during a person's lifetime. That doesnt mean every adult from those communities, just like not every adult with Down syndrome is asking you to quit saying the r-word; but enough of them, the majority of them, identify as having adisability, not aspecial need. This is where Ive come to, but if you look back through my blog, youll see a few years ago I was a very different person. Refugee and migrant are often used interchangeably. In Australia people with disability want to be acknowledged as people first. 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." . and received his PhD in social psychology from the University of Virginia. If you want to hear me reading this, just click the link below. Stop Saying 'Wheelchair-Bound' And Other Outdated, Offensive Terms First I want to quote another parent like me, who did a similar post almost a year ago. A disability is present when activities usually performed by people (such as walking, talking, reading or learning) are in some way restricted. Is there any alternative to person-first language? 7 Appropriate Things To Say Instead Of "Crippled" - Grammarhow However, different people prefer different terminology. Indian Country is generally used in context and is rarely used as a stand-alone it typically is used in writing only after American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) has already been used, and the writer wants to avoid continuing to repeat AI/AN or tribes and refer more broadly to the general wide community of AI/AN peoples and tribes. Andrews is the director of psychology training for the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System. Comment: Terms are outdated and stigmatizing. Whenever possible, describe specific groups and/or individuals with interest in an activity using relevant names, categories, or descriptions of the nature of their influence or involvement (for example, advisors, consultants, co-owners). It also groups all parties into one term, despite potential differences in the way they are engaged or interact with a project or activity. 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. That makes it tricky, you know, for allies to the disabled/Down syndrome parent community. Avoid medical labels. The term is increasingly used in a way where it implies someone is dangerous or devious, she said. Language for disability can pose a challenge, especially because no one wants to offend another person or to appear to be insensitive. Acceptable and Unacceptable Disability Terminology Is disability a politically correct term? - TimesMojo I suggest you read the entire essay. When will people realize how precious our Downs community is, and how much they have to teach the rest of us about loving kindness. I wasn't able to work anymore. Disability Terminology: Etiquette, Culture, and Choosing the Right Words But they are so obviously an effort to be kind, or nice, or positive and cheerleading that the effect on actual disabled people can be sentimental and condescending. When describing a combination of racial/ethnic groups (for example, 3 or more sub-groups) use people from some racial and ethnic groups or people from racial and ethnic minority groups. But just like those derogatory words, the term "retardation" has become an insult, along with . I think whats important is that we all acknowledge that were on different parts of this journey and have things to learn. No. "They are two distinct things. Saving Lives, Protecting People, Race and Ethnic Standards for Federal Statistics and Administrative Reporting, Revisions to the Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, People/persons who are incarcerated or detained (often used for shorter jail stays, for youth in detention facilitiesor for other persons awaiting immigration proceedingsin detention facilities), Persons detained by or under the custody of (specify agency) (for example, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE] or other agencies), Confined to a wheelchair or wheelchair-bound, People who are deaf or hard of hearing or who are blind or have low vision, People with an intellectual or developmental disability, People who use a wheelchair or mobility device. The correct term is "disability"a person with a disability. Inaccurate reference; a person is NOT a condition. The reasoning goes like this: Phrases like "disabled person" or "amputee" focus on a condition more than the person who is affected by it. In the UK, for instance, they prefer the phrase "disabled people". Ive been a person with a disability for most of my life, and a member of the Down syndrome community (thanks to my daughter!) To take another quote from the blog post I mentioned earlier: Disability. It's a good idea to follow the AMA Manual of Style's lead with this one. disability, speech disorder, or communication disability ; CP victim, spastic . Disability and disabled work elegantly simply to describe the shared social identity of all people who have any kind of disability. Comment: One commenter observed that there are "many gradations" in the type or severity of intellectual disabilities, which the term "intellectual disability" could encompass. The terms used for people with disabilities all too frequently perpetuate stereotypes and false ideas. And then the person over in that group over there is going to tell you its all balderdash anyway. Do you say none of the words?