People First Language « Disabilities – Other Issues

• The rationale behind people-first language is that it recognizes that someone is a person, a human being, or a citizen first, and that the disability is a part, but not all of them. Thus, it asks for one to respect the disability community as first and foremost a community of people. It is also supposed to confirm the right of the concerned group to define themselves and choose their own name. (Wikipedia)

Articles

• 7 Things NEVER to Say to People With Disabilities (Diversity.com)
  We've all heard them. Culturally insensitive terms such as "handicapped," "retarded" and "slow" used to refer to people with disabilities, or "compliments" such as "but you look so good," directed at people whose disabilities aren't obvious. While those using the terms may not mean to be insensitive, that doesn't make the words less hurtful.
• A Few Words About People First Language
  People First Language puts the person before the disability, and describes what a person has, not who a person is.
• As Roles Change, So Do Labels for People With Disabilities (PilotOnline.com)
  In recent years, those labels have taken on more prominence as people with disabilities seek equal treatment and regard in the eyes of wider society. Changes in language can alter the way people think… advocates say.
• Autistic or Person with Autism? (Washington Times – 8/2/10)
  When I write here, I use the words "person with autism" and "autistic person" pretty interchangeably. Every once in a while, this column gets a comment telling me I should use "person first" language, meaning I shouldn't use the word "autistic" to describe a person. Because I've heard this criticism more than once, I feel it necessary to tell you that I not only use the word "autistic" intentionally, but thoughtfully and with purpose.
• Disability Etiquette (Disability.gov)
  Updated with several new resources about communicating with, and about, people with disabilities. It includes information about the importance of using person-first language.
• Disability Etiquette (University of NOrthern Iowa)
  If you have not had many interactions with persons with disabilities, you may not know exactly how to act. For example, you may ask yourself “how do I talk to someone in a wheelchair?” or “how do I interact with someone who is blind or deaf?” This page provides some guidelines to ensure respectful and equal treatment of people with disabilities.
• Disability Terminology: A Starter Kit for Nondisabled People and the Media (Feministe – 6/18/10)
  This problem is not limited to the media; a lot of people struggle with disability terminology. People want to use the right word, but they’re not really sure what the right word is, and sometimes some very intriguing circumlocutions and euphemisms are employed in the service of trying to be respectful.
• How to Refer to People with Disabilities (Suite101.com – 12/26/10)
  Referring to people with disabilities requires knowing the correct terms to use to be politically correct. It also requires knowing how to avoid using terms that might be inadvertently insulting to the individual or that might stereotype them to others. Whether in a social situation, on the job, or when writing about individuals with disabilities, appropriate references are essential.
• Language and Communication (Disability is Natural)
  Do the words used to describe you have an effect on your life? You bet! Contrary to the age-old "sticks and stones" lesson we learned as children, words do matter! As the articles in this section illustrate, positive changes in our language and communication can change our lives and change our worlds! How will we use the power of our words?
• Language and Disabilities (New York Times – 1/6/09)
  Patti's Comments: This is a great summary – please consider using the suggestions outlined in this article!
• People First Language (UCP of Metropolitan Detroit, Inc.)
  Most evidence suggests that the guiding principle of disability policy in the twenty-first century will continue to be people first; affirming access, inclusion, self-determination, and quality via authority, appropriations, and case law.
• People First Language (Disability Is Natural)
  A thought provoking article with a table of "Examples of People First Language" at the bottom.
• Terminology (Caring for Lauren – 8/26/10)
  I’ve been an advocate in the developmental disability community for about twenty years. The terminology that is used to describe people, services, and supports changes frequently with every change in how, where, or when services and supports are provided. Instead of simplifying things, being more respectful, or becoming more “person-centered” the new terms frequently just become another way of distancing or separating people with developmental disabilities from the mainstream of society.
• The Disabled (Forward – 11/26/10)
  ‘The disabled.’ Almost every time I read an article covering disability in some way or another, this noxious turn of phrase comes up. ‘The disabled’ say this and ‘the disabled’ do that and ‘the disabled’ feel this way about something. It’s a dehumanising way of referring to people with disabilities, as though we are a vague, collective mass that all think, behave, and act in the same way. It assumes that our experiences are shared and universal.