LANGUAGE AND TERMINOLOGY

[From the front page cartoon strip] One of the taxi drivers from the classroom smiles and offers to shake hands with a wheelchair user

Good communication

Most disabled people and organisations of disabled people choose to apply the social model of disability which says that it is the barriers in society which turn impairments into disabilities.

Language grows and moves on. There is not a universal agreement on the use of language and terminology and the following should be taken as guidance on current good practice.

Words/phrase to avoid	Preferred
The disabled, The handicapped	Disabled people
The deaf	Deaf* people
The hard of hearing	People with a hearing impairment
Deaf and dumb, Deaf mute	Deaf* without speech
A mute	Person without speech, Person with a speech impairment
The blind	Blind people
The visually impaired	People with visual impairments
Victim of...	Person who has, Person with, Person who has experienced
Suffering from, Afflicted by	Person who lives with
Wheelchair bound, Confined to a wheelchair	Wheelchair user
Invalid, Person with a disability	Disabled person
Mentally handicapped, Backward, Retarded, Simple	Person with learning difficulties (or learning disabilities)
Mongol	Person with Downs Syndrome
Spastic	Person with cerebral palsy
Crazy, mad, mentally ill	Mental health issues, Mental and emotional distress, Mental health survivor
Normal Able-bodied	Non-disabled
Special needs	Access requirements

* Use of the Capital D may indicate first language British Sign Language user.

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