The Disability Information and Resource Centre

In recent years, the language of disability has moved away from medical jargon implying sickness and imperfection to a social perspective that reflects the relationship between the individual and his or her environment. The emphasis is on the person first without denying or obscuring the reality of the disability. This approach recognises that people with a disability are more likely to be handicapped by environmental barriers and attitudes than by the disability itself.

What Word to Use?

A

• A haemophiliac, an epileptic, a paraplegic
  This use of ‘a’ before the noun implies that once you know the condition, you can categorise the person solely based on their disability. Instead use person with haemophilia; woman with epilepsy; a man who has paraplegia etc.
• Abnormal/sub-normal
  Not acceptable. Use people/ person with a disability.

B

• Blind
  Use only to describe a person who really is blind. Otherwise person with a vision impairment is preferred.

C

• Carer
  Should be reserved for the ‘family’ of a person with a disability who provides unpaid support. Paid workers should be referred to as assistants or attendants.
• Challenged
  Euphemisms and imprecise terms such as intellectually challenged, physically challenged, differently abled, are seen as political correctness gone too far. Don’t use them.
• Confined to a wheelchair
  A wheelchair is not confining, it provides mobility to those who can’t walk. A person uses a wheelchair. Avoid terms that define the disability as a limitation. Wheelchair bound is another example.
• Cripple
  Should only be used as part of a direct quote, as part of an organisation’s name, or by Steady Eddie!

D

• Deaf capital ‘D’
  Many people who are unable to hear identify themselves as belonging to a group with its own language (Australian sign Language - AUSLAN) and culture. In such cases a capital ‘D’ is used when referring to this group, eg. A Deaf spokesperson said…
• Deaf small ‘d’
  Use if a person really is deaf, generally refering to people who are born deaf but do not use sign language, preferring to use lip reading or other modes of communication.
  In other cases person with a hearing impairment is preferred, refering to people with an acquired hearing loss through old age, sickness, accident etc.
• Deaf and Dumb
  Insulting. Deaf is the appropriate term.
• Defect
  Not acceptable. Use congenital disability, blind from birth etc.
• Despite
  People with a disability are active in their community because of their abilities, not despite their disability.
• Disabled
  Emphasises the disability not the person. Use people/person with a disability.
• Disabled toilet/parking space etc.
  We all know what is meant, but the toilet or car park is not disabled. It is an inaccurate description.
• Disadvantaged
  Don’t use to describe a person just because they have a disability. A disability in itself needn’t be a disadvantage (although often society’s response to a person’s disability can be a disadvantage).

E

• Euphemisms
  ‘Nice’ terms such as intellectually challenged, differently abled, physically challenged etc are a denial of reality and are of limited use.

F

• Fits
  The preferred term is seizures.

H

• Handicap
  Don’t use to describe a disability, however this term can be used to describe the obstacles that restrict an individual’s participation, eg. handicapped by a lack of accessible transport.

I

• Impersonal references
  Often people with a disability are referred to collectively as the disabled, the handicapped, the mentally retarded, the blind, the deaf, or paraplegics, spastics, epileptics, etc. These terms have the effect of depersonalising the description of people and equating the person with the disability.
  Do not put the disability first and the person second. Examples: for a paraplegic/paraplegics use person/people with paraplegia; for an epileptic use a person with epilepsy; for spastic/spastics use disabled person/people with cerebral palsy.
• Intellectual disability
  Terms such as Mongol, retard or mentally retarded are frowned upon. Use people with an intellectual disability.
• Invalid
  An outdated term with negative connotations. Use person with a disability.

M

• Mental illness
  Preferred over mentally disabled. Alternatively use the appropriate clinical name, eg. person with schizophrenia. Do not use insane, lunatic, mad, crazy etc.
• Mongolism
  Use person with Down Syndrome.

N

• Normal
  This is a statistical term. In order to distinguish from people with a disability it is acceptable to use double negatives such as non disabled or person without a disability or descriptive terms such as sighted, hearing, ambulant etc.

P

• Paranoid schizophrenia
  This is a specific condition and these terms should not be used to make a person sound more colourful or dramatic.
• Patient
  Should only be used when a person is actually receiving medical care or treatment, or in hospital. At other times use the same adjective as you would for a person without a disability, eg client, consume, customer, commuter, visitor, patron, etc.
• Patronising language
  Don’t describe people as brave, special, or suffering just because they have a disability.
• People with disabilities
  Can imply only people with more than one disability. Use people with a disability
  While this is the preferred phrase it can be cumbersome and linguistically limiting. Variations can be used such as Victorian with a disability, driver with a disability or mother with a disability
• Politically correct
  If in doubt make sure you are politically correct by using people with a disability. Don’t use euphemisms like physically challenged or differently abled.
• Psychiatric disability
  An acceptable term to describe a mental illness, Alternatively use the appropriate clinical name eg. person with schizophrenia. Do not use insane, lunatic mad, crazy etc.

R

• Retarded
  Derogatory, outdated and unacceptable - instead use people with an intellectual disability.

S

• Spastic
  Derogatory, outdated and unacceptable, unless as part of an organisation’s name. In most cases person with cerebral palsy is the acceptable alternative.
• Stereotyping
  Negative stereotyping can lead to discriminatory treatment of people with disabilities. People with disabilities should be portrayed in a positive manner by presenting them as individuals with a variety of qualities. It does not mean that a person’s disability should be hidden, ignored or seen as irrelevant, and it should not be the focus of description except when the topic is disability.
  Also be careful not to imply that people with disabilities are somehow more heroic, courageous, patient or special than others.
• Sufferer
  Avoid using to indiscriminately describe a person with a disability — individuals don’t suffer just because they have a disability. Alternatives include survivor, person who has had…, or person with…

T

• The blind, the deaf etc
  Avoid using ‘the’ in this manner as it unconsciously eliminates the person and creates a generalisation based purely on disability.

V

• Vegetables
  what you cook and eat — not to be confused with people who are comatose, unconscious or in a coma.
• Victim
  Some people are victims of war, crime, or exploitative wages. It is inappropriate to describe people as victims of a particular illness, disease or disability. Victim or sufferer dehumanise the person and emphasise powerlessness. For example: do not use victim of AIDS or AIDS sufferer, use people who are HIV positive / a person who has AIDS.
• Visual impairment
  Implies a person who is unattractive to look at! Use vision impairment or sight impairment

There is no ‘right’ answer to the question of what word is going to be most approptiate in any given situation, and not everybody will agree on every term.