Disability

The language used to refer to individuals who have disabilities is very important, as is the case with the language use to refer to any person. There are two main approaches to this language.

Identity First Language - This refers to language that puts the person's disability identity first. For example, the term "disabled person" puts the fact of the person's disability first. For specific disabilities, this approach puts the disability before the person, such as "a blind person." This is referred to as "identity first" language because the argument for this approach is that the person's disability is a core piece of their identity and should therefore come first.

Person First Language - This refers to language that puts the person before the disability. For example, the term "person with a disability" puts the person before the disability. For specific disabilities, the approach would put the diagnosis after the person, such as "a woman with epilepsy". This is referred to as "person first" language because the argument for this approach is that it places an emphasis on the fact that the individual is a person and that they have a diagnosis rather than being that diagnosis.

There is no consensus amongst the disabled community on which approach should be adopted. However, some individual groups within the larger disability community do have strong preferences. For example, many autistic people advocate for identity first language. The video and resources below provide more information on this topic.