Disability Etiquette &
Respectful Language
Respectful interaction is key to disability inclusion. Following these tips will help you build meaningful connections with young people with disabilities.
What can you find in this section?
Call a person by their name
Call a person with a disability by their name and refer to a person’s disability only when it is related to what you are talking about.
For example, don’t ask “What’s wrong with you?” Don’t refer to people in general or generic terms such as “the girl in the wheelchair.”
Talk directly to the person
Talk directly to the person with a disability and not to his or her assistant, when you want to talk to the person with a disability.
Use person-first language
Use person-first language. Person-first language puts the person before the impairment or diagnosis and describes what the person has e.g. “a person with diabetes” or “a person with albinism”.
Don’t reduce people to their condition, like “a diabetic” or “an albino”. A person is foremost a person and secondly a person with some trait.
Ask people with disabilities which term they prefer to use if it is necessary to discuss their impairment.
Avoid acroyms
Avoid the use of Acronyms like PWD or WWD. It is not nice to reduce people to an acronym.
Normal vs. abnormal
When talking about people without disabilities, it is okay to say “people without disabilities.” But do not refer to them as “normal” or “healthy.” These terms can make persons with disabilities feel as though there is something wrong with them and that they are “abnormal.”
Avoid softened/ indirect language
Avoid using softened/indirect language to talk about disability ie. people with different abilities, special needs
While these choices are often well intentioned, using this type of language takes away from the fact that persons with disabilities have the same needs and capabilities as persons without disabilities. Using language like this can contribute to the belief that disability inclusion is too difficult, or that persons with disabilities need to be doing certain types of work because of the impairment they have.