Should We Use Person-First Language among the Disabled?

My first-ever blog post promoted person-first language when discussing people with disabilities, but some disabled people are advocating for identity-first language. We can embrace our disabilities as part of our identities in this way. It’s important to ask the people, when possible, the language they prefer to be used to describe them. If you’re curious about the reasons for the recent resurgence in identity-first language, here’s a summary of “Yes, You Can Call Me Disabled” by Anjali J. Forber-Platt, assistant professor at Vanderbilt University.
 
Disability can be something to be proud of, but person-first language minimizes that point of pride. This pride could lead to positive changes for disabled people, such as improved access to resources and higher employment rates in more rewarding careers (thanks to reasonable accommodations). Forber-Platt says, “Intentional avoidance of the term disability sends the message that there’s something inherently negative or bad about having a disability. And disabled people are tired of non-disabled people telling us what they think is best for us.”

Watch for further discussion of the benefits of hiring disabled employees in a future post.

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Darla Nagel is a biomedical copy editor who has an invisible chronic illness. She wants to educate healthcare professionals and encourage patients. If you want to receive quarterly updates from her, email darla.nagel{a}gmail.com.