Communicating with disabled students

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The language used to talk about disability and impairments affects the way society views disabled people. Inappropriate language can be disempowering, humiliating and rude. However, anxieties about 'political correctness' may leave you worried about saying the wrong thing or causing offence. The terminology adopted by disabled people has changed over the years, making it difficult to know which terms are acceptable.

As a general rule of thumb you should

behave naturally and respectfully, as you would to any other person
talk to the disabled person, not their assistant
avoid making assumptions about a person’s impairment or their needs
take care not to make intrusive or inappropriate personal remarks.

Some older terminology is sometimes still heard (as abuse), but it is offensive and should never be used. This includes terms such as spastic, dumb, cripple, mad and mongol.

Although there is not universal agreement on acceptable and appropriate language, the following ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ should be helpful.

Suggested terminology when referring to disability
Use	Instead of
disabled people or disabled students	the disabled In the UK there is a move away from using 'people with disabilities' or 'students with disabilities'.
has epilepsy, is visually impaired, is deaf, etc	handicapped, suffering from ..., afflicted by ..., a victim of ... avoid negative or overly emotional language
person or student with epilepsy, dyslexia or schizophrenia	epileptic, dyslexic, schizophrenic
'John has a mobility impairment'	'John is mobility impaired'
deaf people or deaf students 'hard of hearing' refers to people with mild to moderate hearing loss	the deaf, deaf and dumb The deaf community tends not to use the term 'deaf and hard of hearing'
wheelchair user	wheelchair bound, confined to a wheelchair
disabled person, person with a mobility impairment	crippled, spastic
disabled person, person with Down's syndrome	mongol
blind person, partially sighted person	the blind
non-disabled person	able bodied
person with dyslexia, person with specific learning difficulties	word blind
learning disability not to be confused with mental health difficulty	mental handicap
person with mental health difficulties person who has experienced emotional or mental distress	mentally ill
accessible toilet	disabled toilet
person of restricted growth	dwarf, midget
individual needs, learning support needs, access requirements	special needs
personal assistant, sighted guide, support worker (as appropriate) use the professional title	helper
never use these terms!	mad, crazy, bonkers, loony, subnormal

Behaving appropriately: Disability etiquette

The following general suggestions – sometimes called disability etiquette – will help you to behave in an appropriate way. More detailed advice and information in relation to people with specific impairments is provided in the relevant sections.

Don’t assume you know whether, when and what help a disabled person needs. And don’t make assumptions about someone’s level of impairment or needs based on a previous experience of a person with the same type of impairment.
Most disabled people don’t need help. Offer help if you think it appropriate, but wait for the disabled person to respond. Only help if the disabled person confirms that they want it. If it’s not clear how to help, ask the disabled person to explain what you should do.
Don’t take any risks, for example when assisting a disabled person to cross the road.
Speak directly to a disabled person, not through a companion or an assistant.
Avoid making casual remarks that are personal or intrusive, and do not ask inappropriate questions. For example, do not say: 'What happened to you – why can’t you walk properly?'. You may need to ask, 'Have you always been blind?' if you are conducting an assessment of needs, otherwise it is probably inappropriately personal.
If a student asks you to read something to them or to repeat what you have just said, do not assume that they are stupid, and don't shout!
If in doubt whether you are behaving appropriately or using the right language … ask.