Do you know how to refer to someone with a disability?

By Matthew Louis LaGassa Published March 3, 2023

Reviewed by Victoria Wells

About the Author:

Matthew Louis LaGassa (born March 2002) was diagnosed Autistic when he was two years old, and has always thought of his neurodivergency as a core part of his identity. Outside of his internship here at CIL, he’s a Junior year student at Rollins College, majoring in in English and minoring in Writing, with a knack for analytical essay writing. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, videogames, tabletop roleplaying games, and baking.

A Word From the Intern, Matthew LaGassa, About CIL, Disability Referral Language, and You

Just as there are many types of disabilities, there are many ways to refer to disabilities, called disability referral languages. Though the language used by this CIL has remained consistent for decades, the decision to do so is not a unanimous one, as I can personally attest to. With the center refreshing its readers on all the various disabilities and how our services support people with them, I’m likewise taking this time to refresh readers on the variances in language surrounding said individuals. We will also discuss why CIL uses the language it does, my own story in regard to these languages, and how to properly use disability referral language in daily life.

People-First Language: What it is and Why the Center uses it

As our readers should know, CIL’s writing employs people-first language, “language that puts a person before their diagnosis,” manifesting through phrases such as “people living with disabilities,” (Okundaye, 2021; CIL, n.d.). This type of language is used to acknowledge “a person’s humanity before conveying an objective fact,” such as saying someone “uses a wheelchair,” instead of referring to them as “wheelchair-bound,” which evokes “the language of pity, as in ‘confined to a wheelchair’… as it makes the person seem powerless,” (Research and Training Center on Independent Living, n.d.; Woolfolk, 2018, p. 123). This language originated in the 1970s as part of the Disability Rights Movement, providing “a way to acknowledge that a person’s disability is only one aspect of their identity,” with the intention of eliminating dehumanizing stereotypes that can form from the language of pity. This language has seen use in landmark legislation like the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act with terms like “people with physical or mental disabilities,” and the People First Respectful Language Modernization Act of 2006, requires its use “in all new and revised District laws, regulations, rules, and publications and all internet publications,” (ADA.gov, n.d.; Office of Disability Rights, n.d.). This legal recognition is what motivates our Center’s adherence to the language, but on smaller levels, from groups to individuals, things are not so clear-cut.

Identity-First Language: What it is and Why I use it

Though the articles I have personally contributed to employ person-first language, I prefer to be referred to through identity-first language, “language that leads with a person’s diagnosis,” which, in my case, is being referred to as Autistic (Okundaye). As someone who was diagnosed Autistic at a very young age, I’ve always considered my Autism a vital part of who I am. The deep pride I take in my Autism serves as the backbone of my acceptance of being referred to as Autistic, Neurodivergent, and a special needs individual. Special needs individual is the referral term I prefer using in speaking and writing, as evidenced by my usage of it when editing “CSR and CIL: Why we should collaborate” (2023) over the Center’s standard “individuals with disabilities,” as seen in the published version (Wells). I am, however, no stranger to people-first language. In my Educational Psychology class at Rollins College, the textbook we used, Anita Woolfolk’s Educational Psychology (14^th Edition), recommended the use of people-first language when referring to students with disabilities to avoid the language of pity, as described in the previous paragraph (p. 123). Though I understand the textbook’s perspective, and absolutely agree with avoiding the language of pity when referring to anyone with special needs, for others like myself, person-first language ironically victimizes us further, denying how we consider the disability to be vital parts or who we are and the lives we live (Okundaye).

Listening to and Using Language

There will never be a language type that works for everyone all of the time, especially in large-scale contexts like our Center’s work, so we use people-first language to err on the side of caution and remain consistent with legal history. Meanwhile, in individual and small group discussions which include people like us, where personal preference reigns supreme, what matters most is listening to us: listen to the language we use, recognize how the language you use to refer to us makes us feel, and give us our rightful say in how we want to be referred to. Whether we prefer people-first or identity-first language, listening to us is what truly safeguards our personhood.

References

About Us. CIL. (n.d.). Retrieved February 21, 2023, from https://cilorlando.org/about/about-us/
Americans with disabilities act of 1990, as amended. ADA.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2023, from https://www.ada.gov/law-and-regs/ada/
Guidelines. Guidelines | Research & Training Center on Independent Living. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2023, from https://rtcil.org/guidelines
Okundaye, J. (2021, May 27). Ask a self-advocate: The pros and cons of person-first and identity-first language. Massachusetts Advocates for Children. Retrieved February 21, 2023, from https://www.massadvocates.org/news/ask-a-self-advocate-the-pros-and-cons-of-person-first-and-identity-first-language
People first language. Office of Disability Rights. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2023, from https://odr.dc.gov/page/people-first-language#:~:text=The%20People%20First%20Respectful%20Language,and%20publications%20and%20all%20internet
Wells, V. (2023, February 16). CSR and CIL: Why we should collaborate. CIL. Retrieved February 21, 2023, from https://cilorlando.org/csr-and-cil/