Choosing Words for Talking About Disability

In daily life, how should we talk about disability? What words should we use to refer to people with disabilities? Is saying "the disabled" or "disabled people" acceptable, for example? Questions like these are important, particularly because disability represents a form of diversity, similar to one's gender, race, ethnicity, social class, religion and so on. Knowing how to sensitively refer to members of diverse groups is also important. Let's begin by defining some terms.

First, what does disability itself mean? A disability is a condition or quality linked to a particular person. A disability is present when activities usually performed by people (such as walking, talking, reading or learning) are in some way restricted. Thus, someone with congenital blindness has a disability, as does someone who must use a wheelchair for mobility purposes. Other disabilities are not necessarily apparent, for example, acquired brain injury or chronic depression.

In everyday life, some people use the term handicap or refer to people with disabilities as the handicapped. The first term — handicap — refers to an obstacle imposed on people by some constraint in the environment. Older buildings that lack ramps for wheelchair access, for example, present a handicap for people who use wheelchairs. In this case, a wheelchair user is handicapped — her mobility through use of her wheelchair is disrupted — by the missing ramp. However, she actually is not handicapped herself; rather, the handicapping element is in the environment, not within her. Now that we know the distinction between disability and handicap, how do we refer people who have disabilities?

When referring to disability, the American Psychological Association (APA) urges that it is often best to "put the person first." In practice, this means that instead of referring to a "disabled person," use "person with a disability." Why? The reasoning goes like this: Phrases like "disabled person" or "amputee" focus on a condition more than the person who is affected by it. Using phrases like "person with a disability" and "individual with an amputation" emphasizes the person and not his or her condition.

Within its "Publication Manual," APA also urges writers as well as speakers to avoid using any language that refers to disability in a deleterious or pejorative manner. A phrase like "stroke victim," for example, is not innocuous, as it suggests that a person succumbed or was passive. Similarly, placing people with disabilities on a pedestal ("You are so brave to keep trying despite your disability! You are a real hero!") is not a good idea, either. Such undue praise can marginalize, isolate, or unduly glorify what is a medical fact or quality that is but one part of the individual's experience. Use of either positive or negative labels inevitably over-emphasizes one aspect — disability — of a person's life. Doing so hinders understanding and can even trivialize other, more important qualities possessed by the individual.

Is there any alternative to person-first language? There is, and it is known as identity-first language.

Not all members of the disability community think person-first language is the best choice. Some writers and scholars from the field known as disability studies, as well as advocates and activists from disability culture, prefer what is known as identity-first language for disability. Identity-first language promotes use of phrases like "amputee," "diabetic" and "disabled person" (but not "victim" or similar negative words) where disability identity comes first. The argument is straightforward: use of these honest, candid and less euphemistic terms and phrases enables groups and the individuals within them to "claim" their disabilities with pride. This claiming can be about disability more generally or with regards to a particular disability. By doing so, a disabled individual intentionally chooses an identity rather than allowing others — even well meaning others, such as family, friends and medical professionals — to do so for them.

Taking an identity-first approach promotes autonomy among and for people with disabilities. Indeed, adopting an identity-first approach instead of a person-first approach is a way to counter the criticism that the latter can occasionally imply that there is something inherently negative about disability. The add-on phrase "with a disability," for example, effectively dissociates the disability from the person. Disabled people who choose identity-first language claim and celebrate, rather than distance themselves, from their disabilities.

Some groups within the disability community, which is arguably the largest minority group in the U.S., have already established their language preferences. For example, the National Federation for the Blind has long advocated for identity-first language, preferring "blind person" over the person-first constructions like "individual with blindness" or "person who is blind." Members of Deaf culture want their label to be capitalized with a "D," which is a means for establishing unity and community.

But what if you are not sure what to call people with disabilities or how to refer to them? How should nondisabled people refer to disabled persons?

Language for disability can pose a challenge, especially because no one wants to offend another person or to appear to be insensitive. Remember that both approaches are designed to respect disabled persons, so both are fine choices. One reasonable possibility is to use person-first and identity-first language interchangeably unless or until you know that in a given situation one is clearly preferred. It turns out that the best choice is simply to call people what they prefer to be called. Bear in mind, of course, that some challenges remain. For instance, one person who has dwarfism might like to be referred to as a "dwarf," whereas another might prefer to be called a "person with dwarfism." When in doubt, then, the wisest and kindest choice is simply to ask people about their preferences.

American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Author.

Dunn, D. S. (2015). The social psychology of disability. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Dunn, D. S., & Andrews, E. (2015). Person-first and identity-first language: Developing psychologists' cultural competence using disability language. American Psychologist ® , 70, 255-264.

Dana S. Dunn, a professor of psychology at Moravian College, in Bethlehem, Penn. is a former member of the APA's Committee on Disability Issues in Psychology (CDIP). He earned his BA in psychology from Carnegie Mellon University, in Pittsburgh, Penn. and received his PhD in social psychology from the University of Virginia. Dunn is the author or editor of 29 books and over 150 journal articles, chapters and book reviews. His scholarship examines teaching, learning and liberal education, as well as the social psychology of disability. In 2013, Dunn received the American Psychological Foundation's Charles L. Brewer Award for Distinguished Teaching of Psychology. He is currently editor-in-chief of the Oxford Bibliographies (OB): Psychology and a member of Board of the Foundation for Rehabilitation Psychology. Dunn also blogs regularly for Psychology Today's "Head of the Class."

Erin E. Andrews, former co-chair of APA's Committee on Disability Issues in Psychology is board certified in rehabilitation psychology and currently serves as the supervisory psychologist at the Austin Veterans Affairs (VA) Outpatient Clinic, the largest freestanding VA outpatient clinic in the United States. Andrews is the director of psychology training for the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System. She earned her BS in psychology from Michigan State University, and her PsyD in clinical psychology from Wright State University, in Dayton, Ohio. Her scholarship is focused on disability issues in psychology, including social justice in reproduction and parenting, disability as diversity and the prevalence disability in the field of psychology. Andrews has presented and published nationally on a wide range of disability topics. She received the 2013 APA Div. 22 Early Career Practice Award, and the 2015 James Besyner Early Career Award from the Association of VA Psychology Leaders.