Disability Etiquette - Using Words with Dignity

The following words have strong negative connotations: Do Not Use:	The following words are more affirmative and reflect a more positive attitude: Words with Dignity
handicap the handicapped crippled with victim spastic patient (except in hospital) invalid paralytic stricken with	physically disabled person with a disability person who has multiple sclerosis person who has muscular dystrophy paraplegic (person with limited or no use of lower limbs) quadriplegic (person with limited or no use of all four limbs person who has cerebral palsy	person who had polio person with mental retardation person with mental disability person who is blind person who has a speech impairment person with a learning disability
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birth defect inflicted afflicted/afflicted by deformed/deformed by incapacitated poor unfortunate	caused by "_____" disabled since birth born with "_____"
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deaf and dumb deaf mute	deaf person pre-lingually (deaf at birth) deaf post-lingually (deaf after birth) deaf deaf/profoundly deaf (no hearing capability) hearing-impaired (some hearing capability)
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confined to a wheelchair restricted to a wheelchair wheelchair bound	person in a wheelchair person who uses a wheelchair person who walks with crutches Explanation: Crutches, walkers, and wheelchairs are mobility aids. Without the use of these mobility aids, the person is restricted from participation in their community.
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normal (acceptable only for quoting statistics)	nondisabled (referring to nondisabled persons as normal insinuates that disabled persons are abnormal)

Basic Guidelines: Make reference to the person first, then the disability, i.e., "a person with a disability" rather than a "disabled person." However, the latter is acceptable in the interest of conserving print space or saving announcing time. Use an adjective as a description, not a category or priority, i.e., "the architect in the wheelchair" rather than "the wheechair architect."