People With Disabilities

People with disabilities are not conditions or diseases. They are individual human beings.

For example, a person is not an epileptic but rather a person who has epilepsy.

First and foremost they are people. Only secondarily do they have one or more disabling conditions. Hence, they prefer to be referred to in print or broadcast media as People with Disabilities.

In any story, article, announcement or advertisement, "people with disabilities" should be used either exclusively or, at a minimum, as the initial reference.   Subsequent references can use the terms "person with a disability" or "individuals with disabilities" for grammatical or narrative reasons.  In conclusion, the appropriate and preferred initial reference is "people with disabilities."

Please refer to the Glossary of Acceptable Terms for a complete listing of acceptable terms and appropriate applications.

Distinction between
Disability and Handicap

A Disability is a condition caused by an accident, trauma, genetics or disease which may limit a person's mobility, hearing, vision, speech or mental function. Some people with disabilities have one or more disabilities.

A Handicap is a physical or attitudinal constraint that is imposed upon a person, regardless of whether that person has a disability. Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary defines handicap as to put at a disadvantage.

Example:

Some people with disabilities use wheelchairs. Stairs, narrow doorways and curbs are handicaps imposed upon people with disabilities who use wheelchairs.

People with disabilities have all manner of disabling conditions:

• mobility impairments
• blindness and vision impairments
• deafness and hearing impairments
• speech and language impairments
• mental and learning disabilities.