Always avoid and seek to challenge offensive terminology, discrimination and stereotypes.
Only refer to a person’s disability if it is relevant to the context in which you are writing.
A person should not be defined by their disability.
Disabled people should not feel obligated to disclose, talk about or explain their disability.
The term ‘disability’ can refer to a wide range of conditions.
Do not assume someone’s disability or lack of disability from their appearance, behaviour or activities.
Many disabilities are invisible.
People can have multiple disabilities. For example, someone with a physical impairment could also have a mental health condition.
Do not assume what a person is able or unable to do based on their disability.
Some disabilities may differ from one day to the next, such as relapsing-remitting conditions and long-term illnesses.
Some people may not identify with the label ‘disabled’.
If you need to describe a person’s disability, ask them what language they would prefer.
At the University of Bristol, we use the social model of disability.
This is explained by Scope as follows: ‘People are disabled by barriers in society, not by their impairment or difference’.
Specific terminology
Avoid using disempowering language, such as describing disabled people as ‘victims’.
Avoid equating disability with illness, frailty or poor health.
Do not use patronising language or attribute characteristics such as ‘inspirational’ or ‘brave’ to a person purely based on their disability.
The term ‘disabled people’ is generally preferred.
You could also consider using ‘people with disabilities’ or ‘people with health conditions or impairments’ where appropriate.
Do not use ‘the disabled’.
Use the term ‘non-disabled’ rather than ‘able-bodied’ if you need to describe people without disabilities.
Avoid negative language around disability, such as writing that someone ‘suffers from’ a condition or is ‘confined to’ a wheelchair. Instead, write that someone ‘has’ a condition or ‘uses’ a wheelchair.
Do not use the name of a disability as a noun like ‘a schizophrenic’, or to describe a group of people such as ‘the blind’.
Generally, do not capitalise the first letter of names of disabilities.
However, when talking about the D/deaf community, it is preferable to use the more inclusive ‘D/deaf’.
Avoid euphemisms such as ‘differently abled’, ‘handicapped’ and ‘special needs’.
However, the terms ‘special educational needs’ (SEN) and ‘special educational needs and disabilities’ (SEND) are often used in a children’s educational context.
In any writing, avoid slang terms that are offensive or ableist - for example, describing a person as ‘OCD’ or ’bipolar’, or describing something as ‘dumb’, ‘crazy’ or ’lame’.
Avoid slang that associates a disability with a negative trait, such as ‘falling on deaf ears’, ‘turning a blind eye’ or ‘the blind leading the blind’.
Consider whether to use person-first or identity-first language. Different groups and individuals will have their own preferences.
Person-first language puts the person at the start of the phrase: ‘a person who is blind’. Some people may prefer this language, for example if it helps them to feel less defined by their disability.
Identity-first language puts the disability at the start of the phrase: ‘a blind person’. Some people may prefer this language, for example if they feel that their disability is an important part of their identity.
Use the terminology ‘mental health conditions’ rather than ‘mental health problems’ or ‘mental illnesses’. You could also consider ‘mental health diagnoses’ in some contexts, for example in medical scenarios.
When writing about the adaptions, tools and mobility aids that people use, use specific terms. Avoid using language like ‘special software’ or ‘special desk’. Instead, you could use ‘assistive software’ or ‘wheelchair accessible desk’.
To find further information about behaviour that is not tolerated at the University, and report unacceptable behaviour, visit our pages for students or staff.
