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People First Language
The word disability
refers to the functional limitations one experiences as the result of an
impairment. The word handicap refers to the social consequences of the
disability. A disability is a medical or psychological condition or limitation
and the handicap is the environmental or societal obstacle.
The person who is blind has a disability. This person is handicapped when print materials are not available in alternate media. The word disability is generally preferred. There is no handicap unless we create it through our actions -- or lack of action!
Disability is a noun.
Disabled is an adjective.
Do say "a person with a disability" or "people with
disabilities."
Do NOT say "the disabled".
DO say "a person
with a disability" or "people with disabilities."
Do NOT say "the disabled".
Never say: "Victim"
Use instead: "Person with/ Person who has/Person who experienced"
Never say: "Cripple/Crippled/The Crippled"
Use Instead: "Person with a disability/Person with a disability as a
result of"
Never say: "Wheelchair bound"
Use Instead: "Wheelchair user"
Never say: "Afflicted By/Afflicted With"
Use Instead: "The person has"
Never say: "Normal"
Remember -- People with
disabilities are normal; they just happen to have disabilities
Never say: "Deaf and Dumb", "Blind as a Bat," or other words
or cliches that judge or stereotype people with disabilities.
Remember -- There are NO
acceptable replacements for judgmental or stereotypic words or phrases.
People first language empowers people with disabilities to be treated as fully
functioning individuals and not summarily characterized by a physical attribute.
Here is a good website: http://www.ndcpd.org/ndcpd/projects/sonja/example/first.html
"The purpose of this page is to provide examples of affirmative language
that can replace negative phrases. The use of appropriate language with people
as the primary focus is of great importance, often negative phrases focus on the
disability over looking the person. This is unfortunate, people with
disabilities have much to offer the world around them. "
Source : http://www.familyvillage.wisc.edu
ã 2000 Yeo Liew Ping
