Use People-First Language:
- Never use the word “handicapped.” The correct word to use is “disability.”
- Never use the word disability as an adjective. For example, one is not a blind person, but a person who is blind.
- Never use the term “special” or "special needs." This implies that the individual is separate from others. For example, a classroom should not be called “special classroom.” The appropriate phrase would be a classroom that is accessible to students with and without disabilities.
- Never use euphemisms such as “physically challenged” or “handi-capable.” The phraseology is condescending. Say the person has a disability.
- Using the word “normal” implies that people with disabilities are abnormal.
©Design for Accessibility: A Cultural Administrator’s Handbook
