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What is “person-first language” and why is it important?
How we use a word is important. Often the terms people use to describe children with disabilities or special medical needs can create stereotypes. Words and images are powerful and can cause harm. Language that is insensitive:
- Helps create and keep alive myths about people with disabilities.
- Is a form of discrimination.
- Can hurt someone by talking about them in a way that makes them feel different and/or less important.
- Influences people's self-esteem and how they feel about themselves.
Below are some examples of right and the wrong ways to say things about disabilities or medical problems. Remember that the person comes first, not the disability. That's why it is called person-first language.
| Say a person... |
Don't say... |
| Who has _____or a person with _____ |
Afflicted with, suffers from, victim of or stricken with |
| With: A disability, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, epilepsy or Down Syndrome |
Disabled, handicapped, invalid, cripple, physically challenged, palsied, CP, spastic, retarded, epileptic and especially not Mongoloid |
| Without speech or non-verbal |
Mute or dumb |
| Developmental delay |
Slow |
| Typical or "non-disabled" |
Normal, healthy or able-bodied |
| Seizures |
Fits |
| Condition |
Disease |
| Uses a wheelchair |
Confined to a wheelchair or wheelchair-bound |
| Power wheelchair |
Electric wheelchair |
| Physical disability |
Crippled or lame |
| Paralyzed |
Invalid or paralytic |
| Congenital disability |
Birth defects |
| Has autism, epilepsy, etc. |
Is autistic, epileptic, etc. |
| Has intellectual disabilities |
Is retarded |
| Personal care attendant |
Caretaker |
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