Disability-Inclusive
Terminology Guide
December 2021
Our words matter. How we choose to write and speak about people has the
power to help or hinder efforts to create inclusive experiences and a culture
respectful of all.
Many commonly used words hold negative connotations that the speaker
may not even be aware of. Becoming familiar with these words — and their
appropriate alternatives — is important for everyone, but especially those
creating content for a public as diverse as New York City.
Everyone has their preferred terms and it is not possible to capture
everyone’s preferred terms in written language. However, it is important to
understand why these words matter and which to avoid when writing about
people with disabilities.
Below, you will find a list of words or phrases to avoid, what to use instead,
and a short rationale for each.
Offensive Terms and Alternatives
Offensive Term Appropriate Term Comments
Retarded / Mentally
Retarded
Cognitive, Intellectual, or
Developmental
Disabilities
Replace the slang word
“retarded” with
“ridiculous” or something
not offensive.
Deaf-Mute / Deaf
and Dumb
Deaf
These terms assume
that Deaf people do not
vocalize.
Offensive Term Appropriate Term Comments
Visually Impaired /
Hearing Impaired
Blind/Low Vision;
Deaf/Hard of Hearing
“Impaired” has a
negative connotation.
Handicapped
Accessible or Disabled
Use the appropriate
alternatives such as
“accessible bathrooms”,
“accessible parking
spots”, “disabled
athletes”, or “athletes
with disabilities”.
Stupid / Idiot /
Moron / Dumb
Say “that makes no
sense” or “that’s
ridiculous”. Avoid using
these words as an insult.
Did you know that the
terms idiot and moron
were medical terms and
in 1927 the Supreme
Court ruled that it was
legal to sterilize people
who were declared idiots
or morons?
Cripple or Gimp
Person with a disability,
or people with physical
disabilities
Using “cripple” to refer to
a person, or as a
metaphor, is offensive.
Midget
Little Person, or Dwarf
“Midget” comes from a
time when Little People
were a source of
entertainment. “Dwarf” is
a medically acceptable
term. “Little Person” is
socially acceptable.
Offensive Term Appropriate Term Comments
Crazy
Wild, out of this world,
bizarre, outrageous
Considered an offensive
term because it defames
people with mental
health disabilities.
Lame
Not cool, uninteresting,
dull, disappointing,
awkward. Say “poor
excuse” instead of “lame
excuse”.
Very few people know
that the slang word
“lame” refers to
someone with limited
mobility, especially
someone who cannot
walk. Try saying what
you really mean.
Spaz / Spastic
Say “got overly excited”
instead of “spazzed out”.
Say “that was silly of
me” instead of “I’m such
a spaz”.
The term “spaz” comes
from “spastic”, which is a
medical term used to
refer to spasms,
especially spasms
related to high muscle
tone, which can be a
characteristic of
someone with cerebral
palsy.
Special
Person with disabilities
This term is patronizing.
Everyone can have
needs, people with
disabilities’ needs are
not special. Use
“students with
disabilities” instead of
“special ed students”.
Offensive Term Appropriate Term Comments
Differently Abled
Use person-first or
identity-first language
(see below chart).
Disabled people are
proud of their identity
and do not want to be
referred to with
euphemisms. See the
table below.
OCD / ADD / ADHD
Use an alternative term
that describes the
person’s behavior unless
you are truly referring to
a medical diagnosis. For
example, instead of
describing someone as
OCD, say they are
“hyper-focused”, “picky”,
or “hard to please”.
OCD, ADD, and ADHD
are medical terms. It can
lead to confusion to use
these terms in other
contexts and may be
hurtful to those who
have the diagnosis.
Wheelchair Bound
Person who uses a
wheelchair, person with
an ambulatory disability
People are not bound to
their wheelchairs. They
provide independence.
Victim of / Sufferer /
Suffers from
Use person-first or
identity-first language
(see below chart).
These terms assume
that the person’s
experience of disability
is necessarily a negative
or deficit, and invoke
pity, which may p
r
omote
a feeling of superiority.
Invalid
Person with a disability
Another degrading term.
Gives the impression of
invalidation.
Offensive Term Appropriate Term Comments
Disability
metaphors such as
blind-sided, fall on
deaf ears,
paralyzed
Unexpected, ambivalent,
frozen
It can be harmful for a
disabled person to hear
their identity used as a
metaphor. for ignorance.
Say what you mean
instead of using
expressions like blind-
sided.
Person-First and Identity-First Language
Person-first language puts the person first such as “person with a
disability”. Identity-first language places the disability first such as “disabled
person”. Whenever it is possible, ask each person how they identify and
remember their preference. When that is not possible, the Mayor’s Office
for People with Disabilities recommends using “person-first language”.
Below is a list of disability types and their corresponding person-first and
identity-first terminologies.
Disability Type Person-First Language Identity-First Language
Mobility
Person with mobility
disabilities, person with
physical disabilities. Person
who uses a wheelchair
Disabled person,
wheelchair user
Hearing
Person who is Deaf, person
who is hard of hearing
Deaf person
Vision
Person who is blind, person
who has low vision
Blind person
Disability Type Person-First Language Identity-First Language
Mental Health
Person who is living with or
experiencing a mental
health disability or mental
illness. Or, specify the
illness or condition: Person
who is experiencing
psychosis, or person who is
living with bipolar disorder.
Identity-first language is
usually not favored in this
context.
Cognitive /
Intellectual /
Developmental
Person with cognitive,
intellectual, or
developmental disabilities
Identity-first language is
not favored in this context
Neurodiversity
Person who ia
neurodivergent. Or refer to
specific diagnosis: Person
with autism or with autism
spectrum disorder.
Neurodivergent
individual, ASD individual
Additional Resources for Language
Disability Language Style Guide
Disability Writing and Journalism Guidelines
Conscious Style Guide
