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Watch Your Language
Making Teams Accessible
"If we don't change our direction, we are likely to end up where we
are headed."
Old Chinese Proverb
Words can hurt. The way we describe people shapes our perceptions. Our
perceptions are subconscious; we may not even realize we have them. However,
they can impact how we treat people with disabilities. Just as our language
should reflect positive perceptions of women and members of ethnic and racial
minorities, so too should it reflect valuing of people with disabilities. Here
are some communication guidelines:
- Do you use adjectives as nouns? Don't say: "the disabled."
That's dehumanizing and stereotyping. Use nouns such as,
"employees," and "people."
- Are you using outdated terms like "crippled,"
"afflicted," "deaf and dumb," "blind?" You
need to know that people with disabilities regard these terms as
derogatory.
- Are you linking the disability to the person? You probably don't have to
identify the disability, so why do it? Unless you want to demonstrate that
people with disabilities are employed in a variety of occupations,
identification of the disability is not appropriate. Respect the person's
confidentiality by discussing the situation with them.
- Are you using the legal definition or speaking generally? If you are
referring to laws and regulations, "handicapped" is the
appropriate term because it is used in legal documents and is defined
there. For more general purposes, "disabled" is appropriate.
- Don't use stereotypes. Many people with hearing impairments can speak
and have some degree of hearing. Don't use, "Confined to a
wheelchair." The wheelchair provides mobility; people would be
confined, if they did not have one.
- Instead say: Hearing impaired or disabled, visually impaired or
disabled, and people who use wheelchairs. It's okay to say impaired.
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