3 Language to Use When Talking About Disability
Learning Objectives
- To understand the difference between identity-first and person-first language.
- To understand what terms are appropriate to use when talking about disability, and which ones may be inappropriate.
Person-First and Identity-First Language
Person-first language respects the personhood of people with disabilities. Person-first language puts the person before the disability. We might say,
- “People with disability” or “people with disabilities”
- “People with mobility disability”
- “En Le has schizophrenia”
Many government services, workplaces, and schools in Australia use and recommend person-first language. However, many disability advocates and support services have raised concerns with person-first language and prefer to use identity-first language.
Identity-first language recognises that disability is a part of who the person is. Identity-first language doesn’t only describe the person’s mind or body, but also the person’s membership of a wider group of people. We might say,
- “Disabled people”
- “I’m Australian and part of the Deaf community”
- “Autistic students and teachers”
There are many arguments for, and against, person-first and identity-first language. The argument for person-first language is that the person isn’t themselves disabled: the person is only disabled by society.
The argument for identity-first language is that disability isn’t negative and may be part of how the person sees themselves (their identity).
Language is very personal. When talking to a person with a disability, a general rule of thumb is to check or replicate the language that the person uses to talk (or not talk) about disability so that the space is accessible and inclusive for everyone. It can be a good idea to ask, “Do you identify as a person with a disability?” To ask someone how to talk about their disability, you might say “How would you like me to refer to (or not refer to) your disability?”. Or you could also ask “What language do you use when talking about your disability?”.
General Language for Talking About Disability
The language that we use to talk about disability in general, and about disabled people in particular, has changed over time. Some of the words that we used to use are no longer acceptable or appropriate. For example, ‘accessible parking’ is now used instead of ‘handicapped parking’.
The following activity will help develop your understanding of disability inclusive language instead of outdated or inappropriate words. Drag and drop each word or phrase into either the ‘appropriate’ or ‘inappropriate’ side.
This is only a starting point: there are lots of different resources online to help you learn more about current disability inclusive terms. The reference list at the end of this book is a great place to start.
Copyright note: The image in the above activity is used under the Pixabay Content License.
Copyright Note: The content in the “Person-First and Identity-First Language” and “General Language for Talking about Disability” sections have been adapted from “What is disability? Speaking Me, Hearing You: A learning toolkit for talking about disability” by Rebecca Muir and Deakin University’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Team ©Deakin University 2024 and is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.
Let’s take a minute to learn more about disability language.
To learn more about the language we use when speaking to and about autistic people, watch this Tedx presentation (13 minutes) or read through the Neurodiversity Toolkit below. Or you can do both!
In this Tedx talk, Jac den Houting discusses the medical and social models in the context of autism, as well as speaking about some of the assumptions we tend to make about autistic people.
This video has captions available.
The ‘Neurodiversity Toolkit’ has a section at the end on helpful language to use when talking to, and about autistic people. The resource also contains information on making meeting environments sensory friendly (Radulski, 2020).
How does the information on this page fit with your understanding of appropriate language?
Write your reflection or thoughts in the text box below. You can respond to the prompts, or to your thoughts about the above resources. Once you have answered all the questions, you have the option to export your response as a word document.
Created by Teagan Menhenett, © Deakin University 2024, licensed under CC-BY-NC.
Copyright note: The image in the above activity is used under the Pixabay Content License.
Key Takeaways
- When talking about a disabled person, it good practice to check whether they prefer identity-first or person-first language when talking about their disability. Eg. Do they prefer to say “I am autistic” or “I have autism”.
- Be aware of outdated terms when talking about disability.
- To ask someone how to talk about their disability, you might say “How would you like me to refer to (or not refer to) your disability?”. Or you could also ask “What language do you use when talking about your disability?”.
- Develop an understanding of autism specifically and the language preferences of the autistic community.
These are some of the words you may have come across this chapter:
Accessible, Autism, Identity-first and Person-first language, Inclusive, The Social Model of Disability and The Medical Model of Disability,
- 'Special needs' is used in some situations (such as 'support for special needs' at a primary school. However, this term shouldn't be used outside these limited situations. ↵
- 'People with disability/ies' tends to be used in formal writing ↵
- 'People with disability/ies' and 'disabled people/person' can be used interchangeably in disability inclusive communication. ↵
Making sure that everyone can use and understand spaces, information, services, or programs.
A condition that affects how a person thinks, feels, interacts with others, and experiences their environment. Also referred to as ‘Autism Spectrum Disorder’ (ASD).
recognises that disability is a part of who the person is. Identity-first language doesn't only describe the person's mind or body, but also the person's membership of a wider group of people. Eg. "Autistic person"
respects the personhood of people with disabilities. Person-first language puts the person before the disability. Eg. "Jane has schizophrenia"
Making sure that everyone is treated fairly and can take part in the same activities or use the same spaces.
believes that disability is caused by society being unwelcoming of people with an impairment or condition.
views disability as a defect within the individual
