Plain Talking

Plain Talking

08/12/2004

Capability Scotland is the country’s leading disability organisation working for a just and fair Scotland.  We work with disabled adults and children and their families and carers to support them in their everyday lives.

Its is estimated that there are around 1 million disabled people and people with a long term illness or health problem living in Scotland today  this means its is increasingly likely that your neighbour, colleague, classmate or in fact anyone you come into contact with on a daily basis maybe be disabled.  You may be disabled yourself.

The language we use about disability can often have a profound impact on a disabled person.  The worlds we use can marginalize and victimise people and can sometimes be hurtful.  In many cases people do not mean to offend, often they are just unsure or confused about which terms they should use.  This publication aims to offer guidance about the words and phrases that disabled people themselves have said they prefer.  The guidance is intended to be helpful but there are few hard and fast rules.  The besting thing to do is to ask the disabled person for their advice.

The views expressed in this publication are those of disabled people who use Capability Scotland’s services.

Disabled People or People with Disabilities?
“I feel I’m just like you – I just cant use my arms and legs.”

There is some debate over which is ‘best’: people with disabilities or disabled people.  Some people prefer the term ‘disabled people’ because it implies they are disabled by their environment not their impairment.  Other people feel that ‘people with disabilities’ or ‘people with physical/sensory impairments’ is better than ‘disabled people’ because it puts the person first.

Generally it comes down to individual preference.  At the Equality Unit we use the term ‘disabled people’ because we believe that people with impairments are largely disabled by the barriers in society, not by their impairment or condition.

Unacceptable terms include ‘the disabled’, ‘the blind’ and ‘the deaf’ which suggest that all disabled people are the same and are separate from the rest of society.  ‘Handicap’ is also very negative because it comes from the expression ‘cap in hand’, which has associations with begging.

Call Me by My Name
“I would like to see less use of labels.”
Words like ‘spastic’, ‘cripple’, ‘retard’ and ‘mongol’ are insulting and hurtful and should be avoided.  Many people also don’t like to be defined by their condition – they wouldn’t want to be described as, for example, ‘an epileptic’.  However, some people have no problem with people saying that they have a medical condition such as ‘person with multiple sclerosis’, because this does not define the person by their condition.

“People call me a victim, it doesn’t make me feel good about myself.”

Top of our list of hated phrases are the terms ‘suffering’ and ‘victim of’ which sensationalise disability and imply that disabled people are in a bad state.  The word ‘invalid’ should also be avoided as it reinforces the popular misconception that if you are disabled you are ill and that you are not as ‘valid’ as non-disabled people.

Wheelchairs
“I don’t want to be defined by my means of transport.”

For many people a wheelchair represents freedom, making it possible to get out and about.  Phrases like ‘wheelchair victim’, ‘wheelchair bound’ and ‘confined to a wheelchair’ are negative because they imply that the individual is held back by their wheelchair.  They also focus on the wheelchair rather than on the person who uses it.

Learning Disability
Terms like ‘mentally handicapped’ and ‘retarded’ should be avoided when talking about people with learning disabilities as they are outdated and people find them offensive.

Mental Health
There is a lot of negative terminology associated with mental ill health.  Words like ‘psycho’, ‘schizo’, ‘nutter’, ‘mental case’, ‘mad man/women’ should not be used as they are inaccurate and stigmatise people with mental ill health.

Non Disabled People
When you need to make it clear that you are referring to non disabled people don’t use the term ‘able-bodied’ as this implies that disabled people are less able.  Many disabled people are very physically fit and ‘able-bodied’.

Talking to Disabled People
The way that we communicate with disabled people is just as important as the words that we use.  Our research highlighted some common communication issues that disabled people face everyday.

‘the lady helping with the shopping spoke directly to me and asked how I was doing…. This make me feel really good.”

Speak directly to the person.  Its very frustrating for disabled people when people speak to the person that they are with instead of speaking directly to them – the “Does she take suger?” syndrome.

“Eye contact and sitting down opposite the chair is so important”

As wheelchair user where they would prefer you to be when they are talking.  Often the best option is to pull up a chair because that way you are not crouching down, which some people find patronising, but are at the same height.

“People act like I cant think for myself just because I have difficulty speaking.”

You should never assume someone has a particular impairment or condition just because of the way they communicate or appear.  Also some impairments are not always apparent – they may be invisible.

“I hate it when people pretend that they have understood what I have said when they obviously haven’t.”

Most people with a speech impairment would prefer to be asked to repeat themselves than for people to pretend they have understood.  Some disabled people also use communication aids.  These are slower than the spoken word so it is important to be patient and give them time.

The only hard and fast rule about talking to disabled people is to be respectful.  If you are in doubt always ask the disabled person what they would prefer.

We dont like                  We Prefer
The Disabled                    Disabled People / people with disabilities, people
                                        with physical / sensory / visual / hearing impairments

Handicapped                    Disabled

Cerebral Palsy Sufferer     Person who has Cerebral Palsy

Victim of Spina Bifida       Person who has Spina Bifida

Wheelchair Victim /           Person who uses a wheelchair
Wheelchair bound /            Wheelchair user
Confined to a wheelchair

Spastic                              Person who has Cerebral Palsy

Mongol                             Person who has Down's Syndrome

Cripple                             Disabled Person / Person with a disability
                                        Person with a physical impairment

Mentally handicapped /     Person with a learning difficulty / disability
Retarded

Physco /nutter /madman    Person with mental ill health / mental health 
/ madwomen / mental        problems

The Blind                          Blind person / person with visual impairment

The Deaf                          Deaf person / person with hearing impairment

Dumb                               Person with a speech impairment

Able bodied person          Non disabled person

Do                                   Dont
Be Yourself                      Be overly enthusiastic or attentive in your behaviour

Maintain eye contact         Speak to the disabled person through the person
and directly to the             they are with
disabled person

Ask the disabled person    Pretend you understand what someone is saying
to repeat themselves if       if you don't 
you don't understand them

Give the person extra time    Finish people's sentences for them or presume 
to speak if they have a         you  know what they are going to say
communication aid or have 
a learning disability   

Respect the person's             Lean on a person's wheelchair or move it without
personal space and               asking
remember that a wheelchair   Pat assistance dogs
is part of a person's               Make patronising gestures such as patting a
personal space                      person's head
                                                                    

You can download a PDF version of plain talking here.  Copies of plain talking are available from ASCS

For information on disability equality training contact:
Capability Scotland Equality Unit
11 Ellersly Road
Edinburgh
EH12 6HY
Telephone: 0131 3379876 ext 253
Textphone: 0131 3462529
Email: eu@capability-scotland.org.uk
Website: www.capability-scotland.org.uk

This leaflet is available in a variety of formats including tape, large print and several minority languages.  Please contact the Equality Unit to discuss what you need.

Photography by Renzo Mazzolini
Published August 2004-11-19
Supported by Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

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