Disability inclusive language

Language is a powerful tool that is constantly evolving. We must be aware of this so we can be inclusive. Not everyone will agree on the most appropriate language when it comes to disability; however, there is some general agreement on terminology which we have tried to outline here.

People might worry about saying the wrong thing when it comes to disability, but it's important that we do not exclude disabled people because of this. When we use inclusive language, we are trying to be more mindful about how we talk, and aware that language holds the power to shift attitudes and impact how we think about different groups - not just disability.

The word ‘disabled’ is a description, not a group of people. Use ‘disabled students’ not ‘the disabled’ or ‘students with disabilities’ as the collective term. If we approach this using the social model of disability, it is not someone’s condition or impairment that disables them, but the barriers created by society and the environment. This is why we talk about “disabled people” and not “people with disabilities”. People who do not have a disability can be described as ‘non-disabled’ as opposed to ‘able-bodied’, which is an outdated term.

There is a wide range of words and terms that disabled people may use to describe themselves, their identity, and their experience. Some people may not identify as being disabled but may still require and access support. It is important to note that the language and terminology used by disabled people is constantly evolving and shifting, and as a result, there are no definitive or fixed terms and definitions. We would encourage you to stay up to date by engaging with disabled students and the wider community, as well as Student Wellbeing, to stay informed. If you're not sure about what terminology you should use, it's better to ask the individual.

Many deaf people whose first language is British Sign Language may identify as part of ‘the deaf community’. They may describe themselves as ‘Deaf’, with a capital D, to emphasise their identity. Many people in the Deaf community will use a lowercase “d” to refer to audiological status and the use of a capital “D” when referring to the community of Deaf people.

‘Neurodiversity’ refers to the different ways our brains process information. Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia and/or Dyspraxia are all on the spectrum of neurodiversity, and people may describe themselves as ‘neurodivergent’. Someone who is not neurodivergent can be described as ‘neurotypical’.

Going forward

This is not an exhaustive list of terms and language has a lot of nuances and changes over time. The most important thing is to be respectful, inclusive and to keep yourself informed.

If you have any questions or would like advice, please contact the Disability Team who will be happy to help: disability@gcu.ac.uk

What not to say	What to say
Suffers from, afflicted by	Experiences, has, lives with
Wheelchair bound	Wheelchair user
Brain-damaged	Brain injury
High functioning/low functioning	Is autistic, has an autism diagnosis
Profoundly autistic/mild autism	Is autistic, has an autism diagnosis
Aspergers, Asperger’s syndrome is a form of autism, Asperger’s syndrome is a mild form of autism	‘Asperger’s syndrome’ was a diagnosis previously given to some autistic people, however is no longer given as a diagnosis. Note: people who might previously have received this diagnosis now receive an autism diagnosis.
Mentally ill, manic, mentally unstable	Has a mental health condition, has a mental illness
Depressive	Has depression
Person without sight	Is blind, has a visual impairment
Able-bodied, normal, healthy	Person without a disability, non-disabled
Normal (when referring to someone who is not neurodivergent)	Is neurotypical
Addict	Someone with a substance addiction, substance user
Hearing impaired	D/deaf, hard of hearing
Mute, dumb, non-verbal	Is non-speaking, doesn’t speak
Elective mutism, selective mutism	Experiences situational mutism
People will often associate assistance dogs with Guide Dogs, but there are many reasons why someone might have an assistance dog and it’s important to be aware of this	Assistance Dogs
Intellectually challenged, mentally disabled, handicapped	Cognitive disability
Paraplegic	Has paraplegia
Using OCD to describe certain traits such as cleanliness or tidiness	This should never be used as an adjective, figure of speech or joke
Special needs	This is an outdated and harmful term