See also Language & Tone; Medical Terms
Avoid using a disability-related adjective preceded by ‘the’, eg ‘the disabled’, ‘the blind’. Instead, use ‘blind travellers’, ‘D/deaf students’ or ‘travellers with disabilities’. Avoid using euphemisms such as physically (or mentally) challenged. Avoid using ‘disabled’ to describe facilities, such as toilets or parking bays; use ‘accessible toilets’, etc.
Be emotionally neutral; a person with a disability is not afflicted, a victim or suffering. For example, someone is not confined to a wheelchair or wheelchair-bound – they are in a wheelchair or they use a wheelchair. Avoid what has become known as ‘inspiration porn’: people are not brave or heroic simply because they have a disability and perform ordinary tasks, such as going to work; their achievements are not ‘in spite of’ their disability, nor do they ‘overcome’ their disability to succeed in any endeavour.
Below you'll find some commonly occurring terms and guidance on how (and if) they should be used.
It is OK to use blind in relation to a person who is sightless or whose vision is severely restricted; in many countries people may be registered as legally blind in order to receive benefits. Vision-impaired should be used when referring to a person whose vision is restricted but who is not totally or legally blind.
Carer is the term generally used in the UK and Australia; caregiver is the equivalent term in North America. It is usually used to describe a person who helps a disabled or frail family member, partner or friend with their daily life without financial reward. In some countries, they are entitled to benefits and services that depend on them labelling themselves as carers. The correct term for someone who provides care on a professional basis is 'disability support worker'.
Deaf is the preferred term. Note that the Deaf community commonly use an initial capital letter, which should be respected and used when describing the community itself in so far as it identifies as being part of Deaf culture. Hearing-impaired should not be used as a synonym for deaf, but may be used if appropriate. Never use the terms dumb, mute, deaf-mute or deaf and dumb; recast the sentence if necessary.
Use the term disabled person with care; in general, the preferred term is person with a disability. There is an ongoing debate about person-first as opposed to identity-first descriptors (ie 'person with a disability' as opposed to 'disabled person'), with members of the disability community reclaiming the word disabled. Hence, if you are not part of that community yourself, it is safer to use person-first language. It’s OK to use 'person with a physical disability' and 'person with an intellectual disability'. 'Travelers with disabilities' is also OK.
Do not use, as these terms are offensive to people with disabilities; use person with a disability. Do not use ‘mentally handicapped’ or ‘mentally retarded’; use person with learning difficulties or person with an intellectual/cognitive disability.
These are unnecessary euphemisms. Use person with a disability or a more specific descriptor.