Fact Sheet

Tips for Communicating With and About People with Disabilities

The Basics

According to the U.S. Census, one in five people in this country have at least one disability that interferes with activities of daily living. Because disabilities take a variety of forms and arise from a range of causes -- accident, illness, genetic condition, or aging-related changes -- the majority of us will experience a temporary or permanent disability at some stage of life. Disability is simply part of the human condition. In other words, it's perfectly normal.

When meeting or interviewing a person with a disability, keep the following guidelines in mind:

Speak directly to the person

The first thing to remember is that the person you're being introduced to or interviewing is no different than you in that he or she wants to be spoken to directly and with the same respect you'd show anyone else. If the person is blind, introduce yourself and others who are with you, and -- just as you would on a teleconference -- identify whom you're addressing when conversing. (By the way, don't worry about saying things like "See you later" to a person who is blind or "Gotta run" to a person in a wheelchair. These are stock phrases -- the person youre talking to probably says them, too. And hey, it's not like they dont know theyre blind or in a wheelchair.)

Offer to shake hands

Don't assume that people with partial limbs or conditions that impact their ability to move their hands or arms can't participate in some form of handshake. Hold out your hand and go with the flow.

Be sensitive about personal contact

A person's wheelchair or assistive technology is generally considered part of their personal space. Leaning on someone else's wheelchair at a cocktail party is considered bad etiquette (unless you've been invited to, of course). Do NOT pat an adult with a disability on the head.

Don't assume

People with disabilities are quite capable and creative. Don't make the assumption that someone can't participate in an activity just because of his or her disability. Always ask people themselves.

Ask before you help

People with disabilities have the best knowledge of what help they do and don't need. For example, many people with disabilities use their arms for balance. Even if you think you're helping when you take someone by the arm, you may instead be hindering them or throwing them off balance. If a person with a disability needs something, they'll let you know -- just as you would if you were in their position.

Terminology Tips

Positive language empowers. When writing or speaking about people with disabilities, it is important to put the person first.

With any disability, avoid negative, disempowering words, like "victim" or "sufferer." Say "person with AIDS" instead of "AIDS victim" or "person who suffers from AIDS." Group designations such as "the blind," "the retarded" or "the disabled" are inappropriate because they do not reflect the individuality, equality or dignity of people with disabilities.

Say "wheelchair user," rather than "confined to a wheelchair" or "wheelchair bound." The wheelchair is what enables the person to get around and participate in society -- it's liberating, not confining.

Words like "normal person" imply that the person with a disability isn't normal, whereas using a term like "person without a disability" is simply descriptive. Be aware that many people with disabilities dislike jargon such as "physically challenged" and "differently abled."

Many people who are Deaf communicate with sign language and consider themselves to be members of a cultural and linguistic minority group. They refer to themselves as Deaf with a capital "D," and may be offended by the term "hearing impaired." Others may not object to the term, but in general it is safest to refer to people who have hearing loss but who communicate in spoken language as "hard of hearing" and to people with profound hearing losses as Deaf or deaf.

The chart below shows examples of positive and negative phrases.

Affirmative Phrases	Negative Phrases
person with an intellectual, cognitive, developmental disability	retarded; mentally defective
person who is blind, person who is visually impaired	the blind
person with a disability	the disabled; handicapped
person who is deaf	the deaf; deaf and dumb
person who is hard of hearing	suffers a hearing loss
person who has multiple sclerosis	afflicted by MS
person with cerebral palsy	CP victim
person with epilepsy, person with seizure disorder	epileptic
person who uses a wheelchair	confined or restricted to a wheelchair
person who has muscular dystrophy	stricken by MD
person with a physical disability, physically disabled	crippled; lame; deformed
unable to speak, uses synthetic speech	dumb; mute
person with psychiatric disability	crazy; nuts
person who is successful, productive	has overcome his/her disability; is courageous (when it implies the person has courage because of having a disability)

The above information was drawn and adapted from information provided by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy, and the United Spinal Association.