Person first language is when you put the person first when writing or talking about a person with a disability. Using person first language emphasizes the person rather than their diagnosis, symptoms, or medical condition. Person first language also avoids the use of outdated terms and emphasizes a person's abilities (e.g., "he uses a wheelchair" rather than "he is confined to a wheelchair"). The following are some examples. To learn more about person first language and to see more examples, refer to the links following this list.
| Use |
Don't use |
| person who has a disability |
handicapped or disabled person |
| children with disabilities |
special needs children |
| mental health problem or challenge |
mentally ill |
| person with or experiencing schizophrenia |
schizophrenic or schizo |
| accessible parking |
handicapped parking |
| congenital disability |
birth defect |
| deaf or hard of hearing |
hearing impaired |
| Down syndrome |
Mongol, Mongoloid, or Downs |
| person with epilepsy |
epileptic |
| person with cerebral palsy |
person who suffers from cerebral palsy |
| individual who is blind or has low vision |
the blind |
| person with an intellectual disability or person with a developmental disability |
retarded |
| person with a brain injury |
brain damaged |
