Can People Of Disabilities Be Of Service To Their Country

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Words are powerful.

The words yous use and the way you portray individuals with disabilities matters. This factsheet provides guidelines for portraying individuals with disabilities in a respectful and balanced way by using language that is accurate, neutral and objective.

1. Ask to find out if an individual is willing to disclose their inability.

Exercise non assume that people with disabilities are willing to disclose their disability. While some people prefer to be public about their disability, such as including information about their disability in a media article, others choose to non be publically identified as a person with a disability.

2. Emphasize abilities, not limitations.

Choosing language that emphasizes what people can exercise instead of what they can't do is empowering.

Use	Don't Employ
Person who uses a wheelchair	Wheelchair-jump; bars to a wheelchair
Person who uses a communication device; uses an culling method of communication	Is non-verbal; tin can't talk

3. In general, refer to the person offset and the inability second.

People with disabilities are, first and foremost, people. Labeling a person equates the person with a condition and can exist disrespectful and dehumanizing. A person isn't a inability, condition or diagnosis; a person has a inability, status or diagnosis. This is called Person-Commencement Language.

Use	Don't Use
Person with a inability, people with disabilities	Disabled person; the disabled
Human with paraplegia	Paraplegic; paraplegic human
Person with a learning disability	Slow learner
Student receiving special education services	Special education student
A person of short stature or petty person	Dwarf, midget

iv. Notwithstanding, ever inquire to find out an individual's language preferences.

People with disabilities have different preferences when referring to their disability. Some people meet their disability as an essential part of who they are and prefer to be identified with their disability first – this is called Identity-Kickoff Language. Others prefer Person-First Linguistic communication. Examples of Identity-Start Language include identifying someone as a deaf person instead of a person who is deaf, or an autistic person instead of a person with autism.

five. Use neutral language.

Do not utilize language that portrays the person as passive or suggests a lack of something: victim, invalid, defective.

Use	Don't Use
Person who has had a stroke	Stroke victim
Congenital disability	Birth defect
Person with epilepsy	Person afflicted with epilepsy, epileptic
Person with a brain injury	Brain damaged, encephalon injury sufferer
Burn survivor	Burn victim

6. Utilize language that emphasizes the need for accessibility rather than the presence of a disability.

Use	Don't Use
Attainable parking	Handicapped parking
Accessible restroom	Disabled restroom

Annotation that 'handicapped' is an outdated and unacceptable term to use when referring to individuals or accessible environments.

seven. Practise non employ condescending euphemisms.

Terms like differently-abled, challenged, handi-capable or special are often considered condescending.

8. Exercise not use offensive language.

Examples of offensive language include freak, retard, lame, imbecile, vegetable, cripple, crazy, or psycho.

9. Describing people without disabilities.

In discussions that include people both with and without disabilities, do not use words that imply negative stereotypes of those with disabilities.

Use	Don't Use
People without disabilities	Normal, healthy, able-bodied, whole
She is a kid without disabilities	She is a normal child

10. Think that disability is not an illness and people with disabilities are not patients.

People with disabilities can be healthy, although they may have a chronic condition such as arthritis or diabetes. Only refer to someone as a patient when his or her relationship with a health intendance provider is under discussion.

11. Do non use linguistic communication that perpetuates negative stereotypes virtually psychiatric disabilities.

Much work needs to exist done to suspension down stigma effectually psychiatric disabilities. The American Psychiatric Association has new guidelines for communicating responsibly virtually mental health.

Apply	Don't Apply
He has a diagnosis of bipolar disorder; he is living with bipolar disorder	He is (a) bipolar; he is (a) manic-depressive
Attempted suicide	Unsuccessful suicide
Died by suicide	Committed suicide
Is receiving mental health services	Mental Wellness patient/instance
Person with schizophrenia	Schizophrenic, schizo
Person with substance use disorder; person experiencing alcohol/drug problem	Addict, abuser; junkie
She has a mental health status or psychiatric disability	She is mentally ill/emotionally disturbed/ insane

12. Portray successful people with disabilities in a balanced way, not every bit heroic or superhuman.

Do non brand assumptions by saying a person with a inability is heroic or inspiring because they are simply living their lives. Stereotypes may raise false expectations that everyone with a disability is or should be an inspiration. People may exist inspired past them just as they may exist inspired by anyone else. Anybody faces challenges in life.

13. Exercise not mention someone's disability unless it is essential to the story.

The fact that someone is bullheaded or uses a wheelchair may or may not be relevant to the commodity yous are writing. Only identify a person as having a inability if this information is essential to the story. For example, say "Board president Chris Jones called the coming together to order." Do non say, "Board president Chris Jones, who is bullheaded, called the meeting to club." It's ok to place someone's inability if it is essential to the story. For example, "Amy Jones, who uses a wheelchair, spoke nigh her experience with using accessible transportation."

xiv. Create balanced human-interest stories instead of tear-jerking stories.

Tearjerkers virtually incurable diseases, built disabilities or astringent injury that are intended to elicit compassion perpetuate negative stereotypes.

Resources

People Commencement Linguistic communication and More than, Disability is Natural!

Guidelines: How to Write and Study Nearly People with Disabilities, and "Your Words, Our Prototype" (poster), Research & Training Center on Contained Living, Academy of Kansas, 8th Edition, 2013.

Mental Health Terminology: Words Matter and "Associated Printing Style Volume on Mental Illness," American Psychiatric Clan, 2013.

Content was developed by the ADA Noesis Translation Heart, and is based on professional consensus of ADA experts and the ADA National Network.

ADA Knowledge Translation Middle
http://adakt.washington.edu/

The contents of this factsheet were developed under grants from the National Institute on Disability, Contained Living, and Rehabilitation Inquiry (NIDILRR grant number 90DP0086). NIDILRR is a Heart within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this factsheet do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and you should non assume endorsement by the Federal Government.