Disability Language on This Website
Historically, language around disability has changed. Euphemisms for disability like "special needs," "handicapable," or "differently abled" are no longer considered acceptable in the broader disability rights community. People who are deaf are no longer called "mutes" or "deaf-mutes."
People used to also encourage the use of person-first language, like "person who is disabled," "person who is autistic," or "people who is mentally ill." While that is still the only acceptable form of disability language in many professional and scholarly publications and courses, disability and Deaf activists now encourage the use of disability-first language (especially among disabled and Deaf people), like "disabled person," "autistic person," or "mentally ill person." People who use American Sign Language are called "Deaf" (with a capital "D") while people who are medically deaf but do not use sign language are "deaf" or "hard-of-hearing." Some language that was offensive (like "crip" or "madness") is now being claimed as "in-group" language that is still not ok for nondisabled people, but fine for disabled people. Language is also considering how disabled people are part of human diversity (like the term "neurodiverse") and how disability and Deafness may actually be positive in some ways (like the term "Deaf gain"). People are now also using the terms "audism" (discrimination and oppression of disabled people) and "audism" (discrimination and oppression of Deaf people).
The DREAM website switches between person-first and disability-first language.
To learn more, see:
People used to also encourage the use of person-first language, like "person who is disabled," "person who is autistic," or "people who is mentally ill." While that is still the only acceptable form of disability language in many professional and scholarly publications and courses, disability and Deaf activists now encourage the use of disability-first language (especially among disabled and Deaf people), like "disabled person," "autistic person," or "mentally ill person." People who use American Sign Language are called "Deaf" (with a capital "D") while people who are medically deaf but do not use sign language are "deaf" or "hard-of-hearing." Some language that was offensive (like "crip" or "madness") is now being claimed as "in-group" language that is still not ok for nondisabled people, but fine for disabled people. Language is also considering how disabled people are part of human diversity (like the term "neurodiverse") and how disability and Deafness may actually be positive in some ways (like the term "Deaf gain"). People are now also using the terms "audism" (discrimination and oppression of disabled people) and "audism" (discrimination and oppression of Deaf people).
The DREAM website switches between person-first and disability-first language.
To learn more, see:
- AHEAD's "Statement on Language" that explains disability-first language and why AHEAD uses it
- The National Center on Disability and Journalism's guide to language and other language-related resources
- The National Deaf Center's Introduction to Deaf Culture
- An explanation of the term "neurodiversity" from VeryWell Mind
- Learn about Deaf gain
- Read an explanation of ableism
- Read an explanation of audism
