Newcastle Disability Forum www.ndf.org.uk
Language of disability - summary
| Avoid: | Instead Use |
| (the) handicapped: | disabled people |
| the disabled: | |
| people with disabilities: | |
| people with special needs: | |
| the blind: | visually impaired people |
| blind and partially sighted people | |
| the deaf: | hearing impaired people |
| deaf and hard of hearing people | |
| mentally handicapped: | has a learning difficulty |
| subnormal/backward: | |
| mentally ill, mad, headcase: | s/he has mental health issues |
| nutter, fruit cake: | |
| confined to a wheelchair: | wheelchair user |
| wheelchair bound: | |
| cripple, invalid: | disabled person |
| spastic: | person who has cerebral palsy |
| afflicted by, suffers from, victim of: | -- has…(the condition or impairment) |
| able-bodied: | non-disabled |
| disabled access: | accessible facilities |
| special facilities: | facilities for disabled people |
| disabled toilet: | wheelchair accessible toilet |
| disabled parking: | accessible parking reserved for blue badge holders |