Words With Dignity

Often, web developers and others responsible for producing accessible web content are at a loss to describe the various forms of disability their users may be dealing with.

While we always want to avoid labelling any person by their specific disability, we must also recognize the various disabilites people deal with on a daily basis. Using the correct terms eases discussing the needs of these specific users.

Remember, appropriate terminology changes with the times. If in doubt, ask. Most people with a disability will be more than willing to help you.

Instead of...	Use:
Instead of...	Use:
Disabled, handicapped, crippled	Person(s) with a disability
Crippled by, afflicted with, suffering from, victim of, deformed	Person who has... or, Person with...
Lame	Person who is mobility impaired
Confined, bound, restricted to or dependant on a wheelchair	Person who uses a wheelchair
Deaf and dumb, deaf mute, hearing impaired	Person who is Deaf, hard of hearing
Retarded, mentally retarded	Person with a developmental disability
Spastic (as a noun)	Person with Cerebral Palsy
Physically challenged	Person with a physical disability
Mental patient, mentally ill, mental, insane	Person with a mental illness, Person who has schizophrenia, Person who has...
Learning disabled, learning difficulty	Person with a learning disability
Visually impaired (as a collective noun)	Persons who are visually impaired, blind
Disabled sport	Sport for athletes with disabilities
Disabled community	Disabled community

© Active Living Alliance. Reprinted with permission.

Unless otherwise noted, this work is licensed under a Creative Commons License