People First Language

The thought occurred to me today when an employee at my school referred to one of my students as the "special ed kid" that many people may not know the "PC" or preferred way to refer to individuals with disabilities.

In all of my special education courses at PSU we learned about people first language which essentially puts the person before the disability.  An article by Kathie Snow www.disabilityisnatural.com clearly identifies some important ideas to make note of when discussing people who have disabilities

People with disabilities are NOT:

• people who suffer from the tragedy of birth defects
• paraplegic heroes who struggle to become normal again
• victims who fight to overcome their challenges
• nor are they retarded, autistic, blind, deaf, or learning disabled

People with disabilities are PEOPLE. They can be moms, dads, sons, daughters, employees, friends, neighbors, students, teachers, doctors, presidents and more. People with disabilities should be recognized as people first and not characterized simply by the disability they have. Snow indicates that the real problem is never a person's disability, but the attitudes of others.  Whether intentional or unintentional, the words that people use can be hurtful. 

Here are some great examples of People First Language

Say:

People with disabilities

Paul has a cognitive disability

Kate has autism (or a diagnosis of...)

Ryan has Down syndrome

Sara has a learning disability

Bob has a physical disability

Tom has a mental health condition

Steve receives special education services

Nora uses a wheelchair

Tonya has a developmental delay

Children without disabilities

She needs/uses...

Instead of saying:

The handicapped or disabled

He's mentally retarded

She's autistic

He's Down's

She's learning disabled

He is crippled

He is emotionally disturbed

He's in special ed (or is a special ed kid)

She's developmentally delayed

Normal/typical/healthy kids

She has a problem with

Sometimes it can be frustrating that people still use the term retarded (and often think it is a funny way to crack a joke) but I try to realize when I hear comments or statements such as that, most people have not been taught an alternative way to speak about individuals with disabilities. I know the person who spoke to me today was not intending at all to speak negatively about my student, but his choice of words certainly could be construed as derogatory, especially for someone working in a school. 

My hope is that more people will learn to understand people first language and to acknowledge that people with disabilities are people, with feelings, hopes, beliefs, and talents. They are unique and offer gifts to the world. They may not be good at everything, but who is?

Some of the students that I have had with disabilities have brought so much joy into my life.  They achieved so much in my classroom and it was a joy to be their teacher. I hope that most people they encounter in their lives see them for all that they have and all that they are rather than just defining them with a label and a disability.