Unhandicapping Our Language

by Paul K. Longmore, Ph.D., Author and Historian
Dianne B. Piastro, Syndicated Columnist

Language reflects and reinforces our perceptions and misperceptions of others. All too frequently the terms used for people with disabilities perpetuate stereotypes and false ideas. This guide is offered as one means to "unhandicap" our language and thinking. It is selective, not exhaustive. It is intended as a suggestion, not censorship.

Objectionable		Preferable

(the) disabled	Sees people only in terms of disabilities	people with disabilities
(the) mentally retarded	Robs us of individuality by lumping people into one undifferentiated category	persons with mental retardation
(the) deaf (the) blind, etc.	Humanizing nouns emphasize the person	deaf citizens blind people
The debate over the use of handicap versus disabled has not been settled. We do not select a preference.

abnormal	Sees people with disabilities less than others	none is needed
(birth) defected defective	Describes an object, dehumanizes a person	congenital disability

Mrs. Kelly is an arthritic patient	Sees someone as an object of medical care	Mrs. Kelly has arthritis
Bill Cullen was: afflicted with, stricken with, or suffers from polio	Connotes helplessness, dependency, defeat. Denies other aspects of the person.	Bill Cullen had polio

victim FDR was a polio victim	Connotes pitiful helplessness	state the facts: FDR had polio

INvalid	(From the same roots as VALid). Inaccurate as most people with disabilities aren't sickly	none is needed

deaf and dumb deaf-mute dummy	Implies mental incapacitation occurs with physical disabilities (from Old English "to creep"); a second meaning of this adjective is "inferior"	deaf, hearing impaired, speech impaired

sightless, four eyes, blind as a bat	Inaccurate, demeaning	blind, partially sighted vision impaired

cripple crippled crip	No epithet is more offensive to people with physical disabilities (From Old English "to creep".) A second meaning of this adjective is "inferior"	FDR had a physical disability (or) FDR had polio

confined to a wheelchair wheelchair-bound wheelchaired	Creates a false impression; wheelchairs liberate, not confine or bind; they are mobility tools from which people transfer to sleep, sit in chairs, drive cars, etc.	wheelchair user, uses a wheelchair, wheelchair using

Handel was epileptic Renoir was arthritic Geri Jewell is cerebral palsied	These usages see people as their disabilities Inaccurate reference; a person is not a condition	Handel had epilepsy Renoir had arthritis Geri Jewell has cerebral palsy

midget, dwarf	Mythical, denies reality Infantilizing, patronizing	short-statured person
The debate over the use of short-statured people versus little people has not been settled.

deformed misshapen	Connotes repulsive oddity	has a physical disability
hunchbacked	Demeaning	has spinal curvature

lame paralytic gimp, gimpy withered	Demeaning	walks with a cane uses crutches Senator Dole has a disabled hand

monster vegetable creature freak	Robs people with severe disabilities of their humanity	the child has multiple or severe disabilities

mentally ill crazy, insane psycho, nut, maniac	Outdated and stigmatizing	mental disability behavior disorder emotional disability
former mental patient		mentally restored

retard, slow, simple-minded, idiot, Mongoloid	Demeaning	people with mental retardation

spastic, spazz has fits	Demeaning	has seizures has cerebral palsy has epilepsy

"special"	Distancing and inappropriate, patronizing; describes that which is different about any* person*	none is needed

physically challenged handi-capable inconvenienced differently-abled	Euphemisms avoid reality and rob people of dignity	a person has a physical, sensory, or mental disability
Cutesy-pie labels are uninformative and trivialize an important part of a person's identity

inspirational, courageous	People with disabilities are not collectively inspirational or courageous	acknowledge the person's abilities and individuality

isn't it wonderful how he has overcome his disability?	Inaccurate: People live with a disability, they have to overcome attitudinal, social, architectural, educational, transportation and employment barriers	accept people for who they are, including that they have a disability

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Unhandicapping Our Language

Objectionable

Preferable