Writing on Disability
Guidelines for Journalists
Referring to or reporting on people with disabilities in the media
Language is a powerful tool
It shapes the way those around us speak and act towards another. The use of appropriate language about people with disabilities can be an important means of building a community that accepts all people.
People first language
Language describing or introducing people with disabilities should put the focus on the individual, rather than the disability. People-first language helps us to remember that people are unique individuals.
It’s not about political correctness, it’s about respecting people’s feelings and views
Language that may cause offence to some people with disabilities:
- Handicapped
- Cerebral Palsy sufferer
- Spastic
- Disease
- Afflicted
- Wheelchair bound
- Cripple
- Victim
Language that puts the person before the disability:
- Wheelchair user
- Person who is disabled
- Person who uses a wheelchair
- Person who has a disability
For Example
‘Cerebral Palsy sufferer Joe Blogs, ….. ’
The use of language here puts the disability before the person
‘Joe Blogs, who has Cerebral Palsy…..’
Puts the person before the disability
