The Ontario Human Rights Code defines disability as a "broad range and degree of conditions, some visible and some not visible. A disability may have been present from birth, caused by an accident, or developed over time. There are physical, mental and learning disabilities, mental disorders, hearing or vision disabilities, epilepsy, drug and alcohol dependencies, environmental sensitivities, and other conditions."
Ableism is a belief that sees people without disabilities as normal, and people with disabilities as abnormal or inferior. Ableism can be intentional or unintentional. Examples of ableism include:
It's important to be respectful of a person's preference when it comes to using person-first language, or identity-first language. Both approaches are acceptable and will depend on the person or group that you are writing about so it's always best to ask whenever possible.
Person-first language focuses on the person and puts less emphasis on the disability or diagnosis. For example:
Identity-first language places emphasis on the disability. Some individual and groups may prefer identity-first language since they view their disability as an important part of their identity. For example:
It's important to recognize that the preferred terminology is unique to each person. If you're not sure, it's best to ask the language the the individual prefers. When writing, it's also important to consider if it is essential to refer to a person's disability. If it's relevant, use respectful and inclusive terms that do not stereotype, exclude, or discriminate.
The following are only a few of the recommendations from the United Nations Disability-inclusive Communication Guidelines and Government of Canada's A Way With Words.
| Instead of using... | Consider... |
|---|---|
| Disabled person, the disabled, handicapped, person with special needs, invalid, person living with a disability, differently abled, people of all abilities, those with disabilities | Person with a disability / Persons with disabilities Person with [type of disability] People with disabilities (only in easy-to-read documents, informal text, and oral speech) |
| Normal, healthy, able-bodied, typical, whole, of sound body/mind | Person(s) without a disability |
| Suffer from, afflicted by, stricken by, troubled with, who has trouble with, affected by, victim of | Person(s) with a disability |
| Retarded, simple, slow, brain-damaged, intellectually challenged, mentally handicapped, mentally retarded | Person with an intellectual disability |
| Insane (unsound mind), lunatic, maniac, mental patient, mentally diseased, mentally ill, crazy, psycho, neurotic, psychotic |
Person with a mental health disability Note: If relevant to the story, you can specify the type of disability. For example, "person who has depression". |
| The deaf, deaf-mute, deaf and dumb | Deaf person Person who is deaf Note: Culturally-linguistically deaf people (that is, sign language users) are properly identified as "the Deaf" (upper-case "D"). People who do not use sign language are properly referred to as "the deaf" (lower-case "d") or "persons who are deaf." |
| The blind, partially sighted, the visually impaired | Blind person Person who is blind Person with a vision/visual impairment |
| Crippled, invalid, deformed, lame, handicapped, physically challenged, person with physical limitations, limp, person with physical difficulty, home-bound, bedridden | Person with a physical disability |
| Confined/restricted to a wheelchair; wheelchair-bound | Wheelchair user Person who uses a wheelchair Person using a mobility device |
| Disabled/handicapped parking Handicapped bathroom |
Accessible parking Accessible bathroom |
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When writing, it is best to avoid terms and expressions which could perpetuate stereotypes and generalize people based on disabilities. This includes:
Certain common expressions, terms, and metaphors relating to disabilities can be disrespectful, stereotypical, or insensitive. The following are a few examples from the Glossary of Ableist Phrases.
| Instead of using... | Consider alternatives such as... |
|---|---|
| Crazy, cuckoo, insane, lunatic, psycho | Wild, confusing, unpredictable, impulsive, reckless, fearless, lives on the edge, thrill-seeker, risk-taker, out of control |
| Crippled by, paralyzed by | Frozen by, stopped by, completely stuck |
| Depressed / depressing (when not referring to someone experiencing depression) | Sad, upsetting, disappointing, devastating, frustrating, tragic, sad reminder |
| Dumb | Dense, ignorant, lacks understanding, impulsive, risk-taker, uninformed, silly, foolish |
| Lame, retarded, stupid | Uninformed, reckless, impulsive, ignorant, narrow-minded |
| OCD (when not referring to someone with obsessive-compulsive disorder) | Meticulous, high-strung, hyper-focused, type A personality |
| Turn a blind eye | Turn their back on, deliberately ignoring |
Inclusive writing includes creating content that is accessible to everyone. The following are a few accessible writing tips from the module Creating Accessible Documents: