Steps for Using Disability-Friendly Language

Inclusivity and the ability to make accommodations isn’t just a physical act. It is one that is also deeply embedded in the nuances of languages. There are certain words and certain ways of acknowledging speech within the English language that can create a more inclusive space for those with disabilities. This article should just serve as an introduction to that, on that, I will add to on a monthly basis to keep the conversation up to date and evolving as does that loads of language. Here are some tips for working toward that:

Take the “R-Word” out of Your Vocabulary

The R-word is one that has garnered a reputation as offensive and politically incorrect over time, and at many points has deeply engrained itself in our societal culture of invective. Even using the word lightly or amongst friends has a negative impact--it is a word that separates and distinguishes the person saying it from those who have disabilities. It is an insult that targets and degrades a marginalized group simultaneously and is meant as a put down based on intellectual capability.

Do Not Call People Autistic as an Insult

Using “autistic” as an insult is both degrading to those individuals living with autism, and stereotypes them instantly based on assumed negative attributes. This creates an effect that is not only alienating and separationist to those with autism but contextualizes and casts them in a negative and sub-human manner.

Listen to People about the language they prefer

There has been a continuous conversation about what language people with disabilities prefer to speak about themselves. Often, this manifests as a clash between "identity-first" language, which presents as “I am autistic,” for instance, or “I am deaf.” On the other hand, person first language is another primary school that counters this. It manifests as “I am a person with autism,” and “I am a person who is deaf,” throwing the person before the disability. The best way to find out how a person regards and wants you to regard they cannot ask them, in an appropriate and respectful context.

These tips, of course, are not the end all be all to be more inclusive. They are steps that can be taken to better bridge communication with people with disabilities and bring a spotlight to ways in which to make society a more accommodating place. It starts on an individual level, relays to the societal level, and will continue to garner more and more momentum as each person becomes increasingly aware of how to achieve this goal.