Awareness
About one in five Americans currently identifies as having a disability, and almost everyone will experience disability at some point in their lifetime. Below are ways you can demonstrate increased sensitivity and awareness of people with disabilities.
Disability and Language
Language shapes the way those around us speak and act toward one another and conveys the respect we have for others. The use of appropriate language about people with disabilities is an important tool in building a community that accepts all people. Appropriate language is both sensitive and accurate.
Person-First Language
Labeling a person equates the person with a condition and can be disrespectful and dehumanizing. A person isn’t a disability, condition or diagnosis; a person has a disability, condition or diagnosis. This is called Person-First Language. For many years, Arts for All Wisconsin has used “people-first” language.
Identity-First Language
Whenever it is an option to do so, ask to find out an individual’s language preferences. People with disabilities have different preferences when referring to their disability. Some people see their disability as an essential part of who they are and prefer to be identified with their disability first – this is called Identity-First Language. Others prefer Person-First Language. Examples of Identity-First Language include identifying someone as a Deaf person instead of a person who is Deaf, or an autistic person instead of a person with autism.