DIVERSITY NEWS
BY JASON GOITIA
USING RESPECTFUL LANGUAGE WHEN TALKING ABOUT DISABILITY
“THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE RIGHT
WORD AND THE ALMOST-RIGHT WORD IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIGHTNING AND A LIGHTNING BUG.”—MARK TWAIN As lawyers, we know that words and phrases are very
powerful, and should be chosen and used thoughtfully to make the most of opportunities and talents. It is with that in mind that we know that we need to choose the words we use to discuss disabilities carefully. Disrespectful language can make someone feel excluded,
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and that person may end up contributing less than his or her potential. Many people may not have a disability right now, but may have a disability in the future. Plus, cowork- ers or clients may have a disability themselves, or they have a family member or a friend who has a disability. Disability aff ects all people. So, we should learn to use respectful lan- guage, and teach others to do the same. T is article lays out a few guidelines to use when discussing disability. However, while you should always be respectful, the impacted person
For example, use the phrase “person with a disability”
instead of “disabled person.” Using the term “disabled person” implies that he or she is a broken person who is less than a whole person. You want your words to refl ect that the disability is a feature of who he or she is, but it is not a defi ning characteristic. Similarly, refer to a person’s disability only when it is
related to what you are talking about. For example, you should not ask “What’s wrong with you?” when you see someone who has a disability. Also, do not refer to people in general or generic terms such as “the girl in the wheel- chair.” Always call a person with a disability by his or her name, and you avoid this issue. Use the term “accessible” rather than “handicapped.”
For example, calling a bathroom stall an “accessible stall,” a parking space an “accessible space,” or seating as “acces- sible seating” refl ects that you are talking about a stall, a parking space, or seating, and not a person. I have had people who use wheelchairs tell me they had to wait to
SOMEONE FEEL EXCLUDED, AND THAT PERSON MAY END UP CONTRIBUTING LESS THAN HIS OR HER POTENTIAL.
DISRESPECTFUL LANGUAGE CAN MAKE
is a better guide on his or her own preferences. As an overarching principle, you should refer to the
person fi rst (you may sometimes see references to “people- fi rst” language). T at way, you acknowledge the person before the disability; the language we use infl uences the way we see people, and we want the language we use to acknowledge that we see the person before the disability.
DIVERSITY & THE BAR® MAY/JUNE 2014
use the bathroom because someone without a need for the accessible stall was using it. If we start to refer to bathroom stalls as accessible stalls (rather than handicapped stalls), hopefully people will opt for that particular stall last (instead of fi rst), as they should. Use the phrase “little person” instead of dwarf or
midget. T is will emphasize that you are talking about a person, and not a condition.
MCCA.COM
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