Before I acquired a disability of my own, I’d already worked in the public relations field for roughly 20 years. While I never committed a language faux paus of any real significance, I started to realize that I didn’t know what I didn’t know when it came to properly communicating on the topic of disability.
To be sure, it seems that every morning we wake up to find that a word or a term that we’ve used harmlessly all of our lives now carries with it a certain sensitivity. We learn to roll with these things, for the most part, but for many, the constant redefinition of the words and terms we use brings with it a certain amount of communication fatigue.
"People-first language" improves communication to those with disabilities
As mindful as I am of this, I also know that if you communicate to or want to connect with anyone who has a disability, language matters and that language is rooted in mindset. I’m talking about “people-first language”, which is more of a mindset than a list of new words or phrases we need to remember.
People-first language unlocks the key to effectively communicating with someone who may have a disability or when discussing the subject of disability.
One of the more blatant examples of insensitivity in this area is the once-common use of the word “retarded”. Most people today almost instinctively know not to use the word, and instead use more accurate and respectful terms like “a child with Down syndrome”.
People-first language is designed to add a level of respect to the language that may be missing.
Most often, I think it’s safe to presume that people who say or do the wrong thing in reference to disabilities do not intend to offend others. Yet, in my business—communications—we learn that words matter because they reflect attitudes, which can have a positive or negative impact.
Disrespectful language can pose greater challenges for people with disabilities. Poor word choice can lead persons with disabilities to feel excluded or marginalized, sometimes patronized, in groups and in the workplace.
What the ADA has not achieved
Since its passage in 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has helped break down numerous physical barriers and has helped create opportunities for work among people with disabilities. One thing that has lagged ever since was language. It has not kept up.
Morale and productivity in the workplace can suffer when people without disabilities in the workplace have trouble connecting with those who have disabilities. In some instances, the language of exclusion can lead to increased litigation where people with disabilities file claims of discrimination and harassment.
In 2019, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) reported that it had received a total of at least 24,238 charges of discrimination under the ADA.
How to adopt people-first language
Here are some basic guidelines that adhere to the people-first mindset for more inclusive communication:
To begin with, it may be best to refer to a person’s disability only when it’s relevant to the discussion. When the general conversation turns to accommodations, such as parking spaces, ramps, or other measures, the descriptor “accessible” is preferred over “handicapped”, as in “accessible parking spaces”.
When you want to describe people without disabilities, it’s not recommended to call them “normal” or “healthy” because that would imply that those with disabilities are “abnormal” or “unhealthy”.
Here are some other words to avoid: slow, special, challenged, crippled, handicapped, mute, infirm, invalid, disturbed, crazy, unstable, lame, afflicted, midget, victim or sufferer, wheelchair-bound, home-bound, diabetic, or epileptic.
No need to memorize the words
Don’t worry. You don’t need to memorize this. If you just try to think differently, then the right words come more naturally.
The people-first mindset describes people as individuals and doesn’t identify them by their disability. If someone has a wheelchair, you could describe her as a “wheelchair user” or better yet, you could just say, “She uses a wheelchair”.
You’ve probably heard someone who’s had cancer descried as a “cancer survivor”, and not as a “cancer victim” or a “cancer sufferer”. That’s the people-first mindset.
While some people with certain disabilities don’t mind terms that bother others, it’s best to err on the side of conservatism of language. For instance, national organizations that advocate for people with disabilities, like the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), use the word “blind” routinely. But someone on your staff or who you do business with may prefer another descriptor. It doesn’t hurt to ask what your friend or colleague prefers.
“People-first” does not stop with words
Non-verbally, your eyes also communicate to people with disabilities. Many have become accustomed to ‘reading the room’ as it were, and have an innate sense of other peoples’ attitudes toward disability before they even speak. With this in mind, it is particularly important to make eye contact and not focus on a wheelchair, cane, or crutch.
When you speak to people with hearing difficulties, face them when speaking so that they can read your lips and hear you better.
On the issue of protocol, it is very important to obtain permission before physically touching someone or even attempting something as simple as opening a door for someone with a disability. Sudden and unexpected physical contact or movements in close proximity or in their path can throw them off and possibly cause a fall.
If you plan a meeting with someone who has a disability, consider places that are easy to access in a wheelchair or with a cane.
Ultimately, the main thing to remember is that if you respect someone with a disability, and you respect their own desire to be as independent as possible, your words, your actions, and your interactions will reflect that. That’s the people-first mindset.