Disability: language is powerful
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People have different views on whether it is more respectful to say “Persons with Disabilities” or “disabled persons”. Some people prefer the former as it seeks to put the person first, whilst some people prefer the latter as it seeks to highlight ‘disability’ as being caused by barriers put in place by society to prevent people with impairments accessing society ‘normally.’
The government here has produced its own guidelines on words to use and words to avoid when speaking or writing about disability:
Language is powerful: it can be used inclusively but also intentionally to exclude and cause offence. Language can also be used with respectful intention but still leave people feeling offended, disempowered or excluded – tuning into this debate helps us all be more sensitive and alert to the possible impact our language may have upon people.
Our Cuimhne team have for many years now been highlighting the negative impacts of referring to persons living with dementia as “dementia victims” and “dementia sufferers”.