It's the 'person first,' then the disability

What do you see first?

• The wheelchair?
• The physical problem?
• The person?

If
you saw a person in a wheelchair unable to get up the stairs into a
building, would you say "There is a handicapped person unable to find a
ramp?" Or would you say "There is a person with a disability who is
handicapped by an inaccessible building?"

What is the proper way to speak to or about someone who has a disability?

Consider how you would introduce someone -- Jane Doe -- who doesn't
have a disability. You would give her name, where she lives, what she
does or what she is interested in: she likes swimming, or eating
Mexican food, or watching movies.

Why say it differently for a person with a disability? Every person is
made up of many characteristics -- mental as well as physical. Few
people want to be identified only by their ability to play tennis or by
their love for fried onions.

In speaking or writing, remember that children or adults with
disabilities are like everyone else -- except they happen to have a
disability. Therefore, here are a few tips for improving your language
related to people with disabilities.

• 
  Speak of the person first, then the disability.
• 
  Emphasize abilities, not limitations.
• Do not label people as part of a disability group. Don't say "the disabled;" say "people with disabilities."
• 
  Don't give excessive praise or attention to a person with a disability; don't patronize them.
• 
  Choice and independence are important. Let the person do or speak for
  him or herself as much as possible.
• 
  A disability is a functional limitation that interferes with a person's
  ability to walk, hear, talk, learn, etc. Use handicap to describe a
  situation or barrier imposed by society, the environment, or oneself.

Reprinted
with permission from PACER Center, an information and training center
for families of children and youth with disabilities (www.pacer.org). To contact PACER, call (952) 838-9000