Every day there is a good chance that you interact with somebody who has a disability. It’s very essential to know how to not make people with disability uncomfortable with our gestures or behavior.
The following article gives you an understanding of how to actively interact more effectively and incorporate basic etiquette in our daily communication.
DO’S AND DON’TS
The following words are more affirmative and reflect a more negative & positive attitude
DO NOT USE
- Handicap/The Handicapped
- Crippled with
- Victim
- Spastic
- Patient (except in hospital)
- Invalid
- Paralytic
- Stricken with
- Birth Defect
- Inflicted
- Afflicted/Afflicted by
- Deformed
- Incapacitated
- Poor. Unfortunate
- Deaf & Dumb
- Deaf & mute
- Confined to a wheelchair
- Restricted to a wheelchair
- Wheelchair-bound
TO BE USED
- Person with a disability
- Person who has multiple sclerosis
- Person who has muscular dystrophy
- Paraplegic (person with limited or no use of lower limbs)
- Quadriplegic (person with limited or no use of all four limbs)
- Person who has cerebral palsy
- Caused by” “
- Disabled since birth
- Born with ” “
- Person who had polio
- Person with mental retardation
- Person with mental disability
- Person who has a visual impairment
- Person who has a speech impairment
- Person with learning disability
- Person with hearing impairment
- Person in a wheelchair
- Person who uses a wheelchair
- Person who walks with crutches
DO NOT USE in Sentences
- She is restricted or confined to a wheelchair… wheelchair bound
- He is a deaf mute… deaf and dumb
- Birth defect
- The student is slow… retarded…
- lazy… stupid… underachiever A normal or healthy person
- Tonya has quadriplegia
- Handicapped parking
TO BE USED in Sentences
- She uses a wheelchair
- He has a hearing and speech disability
- She has been disabled since birth
- He is a student with a learning disability
- Attention Deficit Disorder A person without a disability
- Tonya is a quadriplegia
- Accessible parking
With the above-mentioned etiquette and basic rules, one can lay the foundation to respectfully communicate with people with disability.
Source : Disability Etiquette Guide