Position of the
Alliance of People with disAbilities on:
Respectful Language

Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. Throughout history, language has been used to convey both respect and disdain for others. It is a powerful tool that can be used to shape the way people think and act. Labeling of others can be particularly dangerous and has been used in the oppression of large populations of individuals, including people with disabilities. When individuals with disabilities are given a label, such as handicapped, crippled, impaired or disabled, it ignores the abilities they do have, fails to recognize the humanity of the individual, and de-sensitizes the public to discriminatory language. By using terms that recognize the person first and not just someone's disability (e.g. one would say a person with a disability, instead of a disabled person), it is possible to encourage a higher level of equality and respect among people.

When these negative labels exist in the very core of our society's structures, in its laws and regulations, it encourages those who use the rules to view others in terms of their disabilities, instead of as people. It creates an institutional bias against people with disabilities and proliferates the negative stereotypes that exist within our society among those who can have significant impact on the lives of people with disabilities. By incorporating person-first language into laws and regulations, a positive example is set for the community to follow. Through respectful language we can begin to undo some of the institutionalized oppression of people with disabilities.

February 2004