Disability language
Use words and images that portray disabled people in ways that promote full equality, inclusion and participation.
In New Zealand, we use the term ‘disabled person’ as outlined in the New Zealand Disability Strategy rather than ‘person with a disability’.
However, when referring to an individual, ask what term they use to refer to themselves — different disabled people have different backgrounds, communities, and ideas that can influence what term they prefer.
Models of disability
When writing about disability, it’s helpful to understand the models that are used to define disability. Today, we use the social model, which has replaced the now out-of-date medical model.
The Social Model of Disability
The social model says that a person is disabled by society rather than by their body or abilities. This model looks at what is wrong with and needs fixing in society.
The Medical Model of Disability
The medical model says people are disabled by their impairments or differences. This model looks at what is wrong with and needs fixing in the person.
Tips
- Use respectful terms for disability and mental health.
- Focus on positive outcomes and personal strengths.
- Use language that respects disabled people as active individuals with control over their own lives.
- Do not reference a medical, mental or cognitive condition unless it’s relevant.
- Avoid using ‘disorder’ unless it’s part of a formal diagnosis — for example, Auditory Processing Disorder or Attention Deficit Disorder.
- Avoid using language that contributes to society’s negative stereotypes about disability.
- Avoid language that portrays disabled people as victims, such as ‘suffers from’ and ‘challenged by’.
- Avoid phrases that may associate impairments with negative things — for example, ‘blind drunk’ or ‘deaf to our pleas’.
- Avoid using ‘help’, which suggests a weakness, and use ‘support’ instead — for example, ‘the support worker can support you with your cooking’.
Images:
- Do not use cartoons or portray disabled adults as if they were children.
- Use images of disabled people doing a range of things, like shopping, taking a holiday, attending a lecture, playing sport, getting married, rather than stereotypical images that portray them as pitiable.
Examples
Avoid | Preferred |
---|---|
Afflicted by, suffers from, victim of |
Has / with (name of condition or impairment). For example, person with cerebral palsy |
Attack, spell, fit |
Seizure |
Birth defects, deformity |
Person born with a disability Person with a disability from birth |
The blind |
Blind people |
Cripple/crippled |
Person with a physical disability Person with a mobility impairment Person who walks with crutches Person who uses a walker |
Deaf-mute, deaf and dumb |
The Deaf / person who is deaf — New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) users identify with this term Person who is deaf or the deaf (non-NZSL user) |
Disorder |
Condition |
Disclosing a disability |
Telling people about a disability |
Dwarf, midget |
Person of short stature |
Epileptic |
Person who has epilepsy |
Hearing impaired, hard of hearing |
Person who is hard of hearing |
Lame |
Person with a mobility impairment |
Mentally retarded, retard, slow |
Person with an intellectual / learning disability |
Normal |
Person without a disability |
People who are visually impaired/ have serious sight problems/loss |
People who have a visual impairment |
People who have special needs |
People with diverse needs |
Schizophrenic |
Person who has schizophrenia |
Spastic |
Person who has muscle spasms |
The symptoms of a condition |
The effects of a condition |
Wheelchair bound, confined to a wheelchair |
Someone who uses a wheelchair or wheelchair user |
More information
Office for Disability Issues — The language about disability
New Zealand Disability Strategy 2016 – 2026
Disabled Person Assembly New Zealand
Australian Government Style Manuel — People with disability
Content Design London — Writing about people
Words to avoid and specialist words
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