List of disability-related terms with negative connotations
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The following is a list of terms used to describe disabled people or disabilities, terms that may be considered negative or offensive by either disabled or non-disabled people.
There is a great deal of disagreement as to what should be considered offensive. Views vary with geography, over time, and among individuals. Some of the terms, such as "retard," are deliberate insults; others, such as "wheelchair-bound," are inherently negative; still others, such as "Mongolism," are based on steryotypical ideas of certain disabled groups.
Many other terms' inclusion of this list can be disputed because they are highly interpretable. For example, some people consider the word "handicapped" to be derogatory, while others see it as a synonym for "disabled"; and it is still used by some disabled people. Certain disabled and non-disabled people are offended by such terms, while others are offended by the replacement of such terms with what they consider to be euphemisms (e.g., "differently abled"). Some people believe that terms should be avoided if they might offend people; others hold the listener responsible for misinterpreting terms used in a non-offensive context.
Finally, some disabled people are choosing to reclaim certain terms, using them to describe themselves with high-impact effect.
- used to mean "physically disabled person." Its shortened form "crip" is often used by impish disabled people as a term of endearment. See also the essay On Being a Cripple by Nancy Mairs.
- used to mean "disabled person", and for "disability".
- Joey used as a derogatory term for someone with Cerebral Palsy (see Joey Deacon)
- Lame to refer to difficulty walking, or moving with pain or difficulty
- Mentally retarded used to describe someone with a learning disability, a significantly low IQ, and/or developmental disability (and mental retardation to describe their disability); these terms are still in use among some professionals.
- Midget used to mean "dwarf"
- "Mongol," "Mongoloid," or "Mongolism" for Down syndrome. This originated from the perception that facial features of people with Down syndrome were similar to those of people from Mongolia.
- Retard is used as an insult for people with mental disabilities.
- "Schizo" or "Schizoid" for schizophrenic
- "Slow" or Slow learner for someone with a learning disability
- Spastic (or "Spaz," "Spazzy," "Spack," or "Spackhead") for someone with Cerebral Palsy
- Special or Special Ed- could be interpreted as patronising. This term is, however, commonly accepted.
- "The Disabled," "The Blind" etc. instead of "people with disabilities", "people who are blind" etc. Conversely, some use "The Blind" in a manner similar to Deaf culture, as they see themselves as a valid subculture separate from "The Sighted"; "The Disabled" and "The Disabled Community" are used similarly as well.
- "Wheelchair-bound" for someone who uses a wheelchair. This term suggests that use of a wheelchair is negative, whereas wheelchair users tend to see it as a piece of equipment that enables them to access the community (not something they are "bound" to).
See also
References
- [Disability etiquette: appropriate language and behavior]
- [Terminology tips]
- [A Way With Words: guidelines for the portrayal of people with a disability]
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