Just as any tool can be powerful in a positive or negative way, language can either work to your advantage or it can result in negative effects.  Without being aware of what is current and appropriate language, a person may inadvertently offend a person or convey a message that they did not intend.

Remember that a person with a disability is a person first.  Do not refer to a person by a disability, for example "an epileptic" or "the deaf teacher."  Instead use "a person who has epilepsy" or "a teacher who is deaf."  First and foremost they are people, secondly, they may have a disability.

People with disabilities prefer to be called just that, people with disabilities.  Mention a person's disability only if it is relevant to the issue.  If it is not relevant, why mention it?  Use common sense, but let common sense be guided by an awareness of sensitive terminology.

Don't be intimidated by terminology.  Simple terms are fine.  But remember, simple does not mean childish.  Treat adults like adults. People with disabilities are an integral part of the general public.  Be careful not to use language like "we/they" that suggests segregation.  Avoid grouping all individuals with disabilities together.  For example "the disabled," "the deaf," or "the blind."

People with disabilities are often portrayed in two extremes: either they are portrayed as brave, courageous, inspirational, or superhuman beings that have defeated a terrible fate against all odds, or they are portrayed as objects to be pitied, in need of sympathy, burdened, suffering, unfortunate, pathetic and needing to be treated with special attention.  These terms promote inaccurate and unnecessary stereotypes.  Use of these terms is discouraged.  Remember, people with disabilities are simply people who happen to have disabilities.

Avoid trendy terminology like "challenged," "handi-capable," "differently abled," or "physically challenged."  These terms are mostly invented and used by people without disabilities.  Some people with disabilities choose these terms but the majority feel that they are condescending and do not prefer them.  Most people with disabilities prefer to be called just that: people with disabilities.

Important Definitions

It is important to understand the definitions of Impairment, Disability, and Handicap.  You may hear these terms used interchangeably, but each has a distinctly different meaning.

Impairment:  A deviation from normal development, structure or function.  Examples where impairments can occur are: hearing (nerve damage), visual (glaucoma), mobility (damaged vertebrae causing paralysis).

Disability:  Refers to functional limitations.  Examples of disabilities are: 75 percent loss of hearing, tunnel vision, or paralysis from the neck down.

Handicap:  The origin of "handicapped" comes from the Old English concept of "cap in hand" or "cup in hand" which refers to begging.  At one time the only way for people with disabilities to make a living was to beg.  Having a disability and begging became associated with each other.  So too, did the idea of having a disability and being of a lower class.  It was not that rich people did not have disabilities, the wealthy, however, could afford to hide family members with disabilities in institutions.  Thus, handicapped has evolved to an offensive term.  Today the term handicap is limited to physical or attitudinal constraint imposed upon a person regardless of whether that person has a disability.  Examples of handicaps would be: a place of service not having a TTY so that a person with a hearing loss can directly communicate by phone, or a person with tunnel vision not being able to obtain a drivers license.  A handicap for a person with paralysis who uses a wheelchair would be when that person can not get into a building because the only entrance has stairs.

Use....	Avoid....
Person with a disability	Cripple, Handicap, Invalid
Person who has...  Person with....	Victim of, stricken with, afflicted with
Person who uses a wheelchair	Confined to a wheelchair  Bound or restricted to a wheelchair
Person with a disability or  Non-disabled	Normal (infers that people with disabilities are abnormal)
Person who is deaf	Deaf-mute, deaf and dumb
Person with mental illness	Crazy, insane, deranged
Seizures	Fits, spastic
Person with mental retardation	Retard, imbecile, moron
Person with a learning disability	Slow
Congenital disability or a disability that has existed from birth	Birth defect
Person who has Down Syndrome	Mongoloid

What's next
Terminology is continually evolving.  Staying current is important, not to show that you are "politically correct," but to effectively communicate on the subject of disability.  More importantly, appropriate terminology shows respect to the person you are communicating and interacting with.

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