Person-First Language
Person-First Language is used to speak appropriately and respectfully about an individual with a disability. Person-First Language emphasizes the person not the disability. An example is saying "a person with a disability" instead of "disabled person". A person's disability does not define who they are.
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Say This… |
Not This |
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A person who uses a wheelchair A person who is a wheelchair user |
Wheelchair bound Confined to a wheelchair |
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A person with hearing loss A person who is deaf/hearing impaired |
Suffers with a hearing loss A deaf person |
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A person who is blind/visually impaired |
A blind person |
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A person who is unable to speak A person who is non-verbal |
Dumb, mute Deaf and dumb |
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A person who had polio A person who has multiple sclerosis A person with muscular dystrophy A person with cerebral palsy A person with epilepsy A person with a seizure disorder A person with an intellectual disability A person with a learning disability |
Victim of polio Suffers from multiple sclerosis Stricken by muscular dystrophy A cripple, spastic An epileptic A spastic Retarded, retard Slow learner |
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Persons with disabilities Persons who have disabilities |
The handicapped, afflicted Poor unfortunates, the disabled |
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Person without a disability |
Normal, healthy, able-bodied |
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Children with disabilities |
Special or exceptional children |
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Has a physical disability
Has a mental disorder Has Down’s syndrome |
Crippled, lame, deformed, physically challenged Crazy, insane, psycho Mongoloid |
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A disability A seizure A condition |
A handicap, handicapped A fit A disease (Most disabilities are conditions, even if originally caused by diseases) |
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A congenital disability Successful, productive Added responsibility |
A birth defect Courageous, heroic Drain, burden |
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