Using inclusive language – make sure you know the words to use and avoid when talking about disability!
With the Paralympics currently on at the moment, and with our newly confirmed status as a Disability Confident Leader, we feel like it’s an important time to make people aware of the do’s and don’t’s of inclusive language.
This is taken from this Government article under Crown Copyright.
Collective terms and labels
The word ‘disabled’ is a description not a group of people. Use ‘disabled people’ not ‘the disabled’ as the collective term.
However, many deaf people whose first language is BSL consider themselves part of ‘the deaf community’ – they may describe themselves as ‘Deaf’, with a capital D, to emphasise their deaf identity.
Avoid medical labels. They say little about people as individuals and tend to reinforce stereotypes of disabled people as ‘patients’ or unwell.
Don’t automatically refer to ‘disabled people’ in all communications – many people who need disability benefits and services don’t identify with this term. Consider using ‘people with health conditions or impairments’ if it seems more appropriate.
Positive not negative
Avoid phrases like ‘suffers from’ which suggest discomfort, constant pain and a sense of hopelessness.
Wheelchair users may not view themselves as ‘confined to’ a wheelchair – try thinking of it as a mobility aid instead.
Everyday phrases
Most disabled people are comfortable with the words used to describe daily living. People who use wheelchairs ‘go for walks’ and people with visual impairments may be very pleased – or not – ‘to see you’. An impairment may just mean that some things are done in a different way.
Common phrases that may associate impairments with negative things should be avoided, for example ‘deaf to our pleas’ or ‘blind drunk’.
Words to use and avoid
Avoid passive, victim words. Use language that respects disabled people as active individuals with control over their own lives.
| Avoid | Use |
| (the) handicapped, (the) disabled | disabled (people) |
| afflicted by, suffers from, victim of | has [name of condition or impairment] |
| confined to a wheelchair, wheelchair-bound | wheelchair user |
| mentally handicapped, mentally defective, retarded, subnormal | with a learning disability (singular) with learning disabilities (plural) |
| cripple, invalid | disabled person |
| spastic | person with cerebral palsy |
| able-bodied | non-disabled |
| mental patient, insane, mad | person with a mental health condition |
| deaf and dumb; deaf mute | deaf, user of British Sign Language (BSL), person with a hearing impairment |
| the blind | people with visual impairments; blind people; blind and partially sighted people |
| an epileptic, diabetic, depressive, and so on | person with epilepsy, diabetes, depression or someone who has epilepsy, diabetes, depression |
| dwarf; midget | someone with restricted growth or short stature |
| fits, spells, attacks | seizures |
Some tips on behaviour
- use a normal tone of voice, don’t patronise, or talk down
- don’t be too precious or too politically correct – being super-sensitive to the right and wrong language and depictions will stop you doing anything
- never attempt to speak or finish a sentence for the person you are talking to
- address disabled people in the same way as you talk to everyone else
- speak directly to a disabled person, even if they have an interpreter or companion with them
We are Disability Confident! Are you?
We are a Disability Confident Leader! Being a Disability Confident Leader means that we act as a champion in our local and business communities.
The ‘Disability Confident’ government scheme “supports employers like you to make the most of the talents disabled people can bring to your workplace”.
If you are a business, we highly encourage you to join the scheme so that we can all ensure that the working world is fair for all regardless of someone’s particular needs!
You can find more details out about the scheme here.