They may include: Slurred speech. NCDJ Recommendation: The word stuttering is preferred over stammering. While people-first language is generally preferred (a person who stutters), some individuals may prefer stutterer. When possible, ask. Thus, deafness may be viewed as a condition that prevents an individual from receiving sound in all or most of its forms. I am Hard of Hearing (HoH), Background: The two terms often are used interchangeably. For example, the terms failed attempt or successful or completed attempt depict suicide as a goal, project or solution. But why does their speech get sloppier? Background: Stuttering is a a neurobiological condition that is characterized by interruptions in speech. Otherwise, hard of hearing is almost always acceptable. The plural of dwarf is dwarfs.. This also is referred to as deaf-blindness or deafblindness. Again, proceed with caution. When quoting or paraphrasing a person who has signed their responses, its appropriate on first reference to indicate that the responses were signed. NCDJ Recommendation: Refer to someone as having dementia only if the information is relevant to the story and you are confident there is a medical diagnosis. OCD may present as a fear of contamination, disarray or intrusion, according to the Mayo Clinic. If a preference is unknown, specify the condition rather than referring to it as a hidden disability, which is vague and open to interpretation. Others prefer hard of hearing. It is best to ask your sources what they prefer. NCDJ Recommendation: While it is usually acceptable to use these terms, keep in mind that disability and people who have disabilities are not monolithic. Dont say that an awards show, for example, was schizophrenic., Background: According to the Mayo Clinic: A seizure is a sudden, uncontrolled electrical disturbance in the brain. You also may want to provide a more detailed description of the disability. This is caused by the muscles that are used to create speech not functioning properly or to their best ability. Background: Ableism refers to discrimination and social prejudice against people with disabilities. NCDJ Recommendation: Avoid using lame or lamebrain to describe a person except in a quote. Hearing is a prerequisite for the development of normal speech & language. AP style: The style book urges avoidance of the term special education and suggests trying to be specific about the needs or services in question. NCDJ Recommendation: Use person with chemical intolerance or people with environmental illness. Do not use chemophobic as it is considered derogatory. As language, perceptions and social mores change rapidly, it is becoming increasingly difficult for journalists and other communicators to figure out how to refer to people with disabilities. Disability advocate Anthony Pulrang defines ableism in this way in an article for Forbes: Any statement or behavior directed at a disabled person that denigrates or assumes a lesser status for the person because of their disability. NCDJ Recommendation:Avoid using cripple as either a noun or verb unless you are describing the crip movement or if its in a direct quote. Use quotes when officials or family members use a term such as a history of mental illness to refer to an individual, and when appropriate, indicate that the diagnosis has not been confirmed. According to the University of Kansas Research & Training Center on Independent Living, Non-disabled is the preferred term when the context calls for a comparison between people with and without disabilities. The type and amount of melanin your body produces determines the color of your skin, hair and eyes. However, use the term the person prefers if its possible to ask. Why is it often considered more PC to say "Hard of Hearing" instead? People with these conditions often are referred to as quadriplegics and paraplegics, but these terms are considered offensive by some. In general, there is no hyphen after inter, so interabled is the correct usage (not inter-abled). Background: The University of Kansas Research & Training Center on Independent Living describes these as chronic medical conditions characterized by neurological impairment, muscle pain and weakness, respiratory problems and gastrointestinal complaints. However, it is such a general term that it fails to accurately describe a persons condition and is now widely viewed as offensive in that it implies that a person lacks abilities. NCDJ Recommendation: The proper term for the disorder is Down syndrome, not Downs syndrome or Downs Syndrome. Background: Tourette syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by tics, sudden, purposeless and rapid movements or vocalizations, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders. While caregiver and caretaker often are used interchangeably, they imply something different. Others prefer it to disabled because dis means not, which means that disabled means not able. But particularly when it comes to referring to individuals, differently abled is problematic. Psychiatrist: A mental health professional able to prescribe psychotropic medications. At times, words that are considered outdated may be appropriate because of the storys historical context. A genetic condition is congenital, but a congenital condition is not necessarily genetic. Instead, be as specific as possible. Background: Cerebral palsy refers to a number of neurological disorders that appear in infancy or early childhood and permanently affect body movement and muscle coordination, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The center also recommends using the word misuse in place of abuse when describing harmful drug usage. If the persons sight had nothing to do with the situation, leave it out. Should a story about residents complaining about noisy airplanes flying over their houses note that one of the residents who is complaining uses a wheelchair? Some organizations suggest avoiding the terms demented, dementing, dements, senile or senility to refer to someone with dementia. Many feel that its never appropriate to use homebound or housebound.. Avoid referring to the disabled in the same way that you would avoid referring to the Asians, the Jews or the African Americans. When describing individuals, do not reference disabilities unless it is clearly pertinent to the story. Brain damage. They give audiences a choice on whether or not to proceed with consuming the information. Do not use OCD as an adjective for someone who obsesses over certain things but has not been formally diagnosed with the disorder. However, The National Association of the Deaf supports the identity-first approach. AP Style: The style book suggests avoiding the term and, instead, trying to be specific about the disability. AP style: Addressed in entry for Trauma, suggesting that traumatic brain injury is an acceptable use of the word trauma., Background: A caregiver is an individual who provides direct care to people with disabilities and others, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. A signer is a person who may be able to communicate conversationally with deaf persons but who may not necessarily possess the skills and expertise to accurately interpret complex dialogue or information, according to the . But note that there is no universal agreement on the use of these terms not even close. When possible, ask if a person or group uses identity-first language (deaf students) or person-first language (students who are deaf). The AA program is focused on 12 steps to achieve sobriety. NCDJ Recommendation: Do not use the term freak to describe a person with a disability as it is derogatory. Patients may exhibit eye movements and other involuntary movements. For example, They found the election results depressing.. NCDJ Recommendation: Refer to someone as having dissociative identity disorder only if the information is relevant to the story and if youre confident there is a medical diagnosis. We also will include some guidance in individual entries here but again, we encourage you to confirm on a case-by-case basis. NCDJ Recommendation: Use Plain English or Plain Language but confirm with the source that that is the correct terminology. Background: The term interabled is used by some in the disability community to refer to couples in which one person has a disability and the other does not. This is increasingly tricky turf. NCDJ Recommendation: Caregiver is preferable to caretaker when referring to the care of people. Neurotypical refers to a person who is considered part of the normal variation in the human population. Then numbers were assigned to words not just mentally retarded, but also terms like imbecile, idiot and moron.. I legit ignore every notification with the word in it.. NCDJ Recommendation: The words abnormal or abnormality might be acceptable when describing scientific phenomena, such as abnormalities in brain function. For example, The doctor said he was retarded, a term widely used at the time., AP style: Mentally retarded should be avoided. There are four types of spina bifida. Prior to 2013, subtypes of autism, such as Aspergers syndrome, autism disorder and childhood disintegrative disorder, were classified as distinct disorders. Common symptoms of autism spectrum disorder include difficulties in communication, impaired social interaction and restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities, according to the Institute. Other medical diagnoses associated with dementia include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Huntingtons disease, Parkinsons disease and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (previously known as wet brain). AP style: The stylebook recommends using partial hearing loss or partially deaf for those who have some hearing loss. Background: Dissociative identity disorder is characterized by the emergence of two or more distinct personality states or identities in a persons behavior or consciousness, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Jonas Salk introduced the polio vaccine in the 1950s, which drastically reduced cases of polio in the U.S. However, people with speech and hearing disabilities are capable of expressing themselves in writing, through sign language and in other ways. Some of the more common genetic conditions include cystic fibrosis, Huntingtons disease, and sickle cell anemia. An Italian version of the guide is available here. Healthyplace.com has a good discussion of the differences. Background: According to the University of Kansas Research & Training Center on Independent Living, disfigurement refers to physical changes caused by burns, trauma, disease or congenital conditions.. Inability to speak louder than a whisper or speaking too loudly. Avoid using terms such as suffers from or afflicted with in association with the condition. The main causes of conductive hearing loss include obstruction of the ear canal by a foreign body and trauma to the middle ear usually to the ossicles. If you have two or more seizures or a tendency to have recurrent seizures, you have epilepsy. WebIt feels like hearing impaired is the PC term that people use because they're uncomfortable saying "Deaf" and that they don't know how to talk to you or are focusing on your deafness, like they need to pick the right word or you're going to Similarly, ask whether the person prefers identity-first or people-first language. Another commonly used term is twice exceptional or 2E, which refers to a child with a disability who also is diagnosed as gifted. Addiction usually refers to a disease or disorder; dependence may, on the other hand, describe babies born to mothers who use drugs or cancer patients who take prescribed painkillers. NCDJ Recommendation: It is acceptable to describe a person as someone with muscular dystrophy, followed by a short explanation of what the condition entails. NCDJ Recommendation: Avoid the use of mongoloid to refer to someone with Down syndrome. Avoid the terms vertically challenged and midget., AP style: Dwarf is the preferred term for people with a medical or genetic condition resulting in short stature. Midget is considered offensive. Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by unreasonable thoughts and fears that lead to repetitive and often ritualized behaviors or compulsions. For more information on mental illness, see the National Institute for Mental Health. Background: People who use mobility equipment such as a wheelchair, scooter or cane consider the equipment part of their personal space, according to the United Spinal Association. Many people consider defect and other forms of the term offensive when describing a disability as they imply the person is deficient or inferior to others. People-first language is not preferred by all people with disabilities. Although many in the general public associate disability with people using wheelchairs or white canes or who are missing limbs, more people have conditions that cant be seen but are defined as disabilities under the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. Although technology is making it easier for libraries to provide effective Manifestations may include stuttering, articulation errors or an inability to move the tongue (commonly referred to as tongue-tied). Background: An alcoholic is someone who has the disease of alcoholism. To declare Background: Dwarfism is a medical or genetic condition that results in a stature below 410, according to Little People of America. So why do some get offended by the term? Laws against suicide have been repealed in the U.S. and many other places. The term has largely gone out of use and is now considered objectionable and inaccurate. Although involuntary cursing is commonly thought to be a key trait of the disorder, only a minority of those with Tourette syndrome exhibit this symptom. AP style: Not addressed except in terms of abbreviation: AA is acceptable on second reference. It is widely viewed as legitimate and important. NCDJ Recommendation: Refer to someone as having autistic spectrum disorder only if the information is relevant to the story and if you are confident there is a medical diagnosis. For more information, consult the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Disability Rights Section. The terms mental illness and mental disorder are not interchangeable. Background: The University of Kansas Research & Training Center on Independent Living describes this as a specific congenital disability involving the lip and gum. Jon Henner, an assistant professor at University of North Carolina at Greensboro, who is Deaf, describes himself as a crip linguist., While some activists have embraced the word, adopting hashtags such as #criplit and #cripthevote, others are very much against its use. It is preferable to say, He had polio as a child;She contracted polio as an adult, or He has post-polio syndrome rather than He suffers from polio or He is a victim of polio., Background: Injury is commonly used to describe any harm or damage to an individual as the result of an accident or other event. Background: These terms carry the assumption that a person with a disability is suffering or has a reduced quality of life. A developmental disability can include a long-term physical or cognitive/intellectual disability or both. Neurological Disorders. NCDJ Recommendation: Someone with an amputation is generally acceptable. AP style: The stylebook says injuries may be suffered, sustained or received.. It is characterized by unusually intense shifts in emotion, energy, behavior and activity levels in what are called mood episodes. Such episodes are usually classified as manic, hypomanic, depressive or mixed episodes. If one method of communication fails to work, try another. When possible, ask sources how they would like to be described. Alcoholism is characterized by a loss of control in alcohol use, according to the American Psychiatric Association. If a medical diagnosis is not available, use quotes around the term and indicate that a diagnosis has not been confirmed. If a medical diagnosis is not available, use quotes around the term and indicate that a diagnosis has not been confirmed. There are many types of seizures, which range in severity. Background: The terms hearing impaired and hearing impairment are sometimes used to describe people with hearing loss that ranges from partial to complete. The terms also are misleading, as wheelchairs can liberate people, allowing them to move about, and they are inaccurate, as people who use wheelchairs are not permanently confined to them but are transferred to sleep, sit in chairs, drive cars, etc. It might be Easy English. Some provide emotional therapy as well as medication management. Signs of albinism are usually apparent in a persons skin, hair and eye color, but sometimes differences are slight. NCDJ Recommendation: Refer to someone as having PTSD only if the information is relevant to the story and youre confident there is a medical diagnosis. Instead, we hope you will double down to find out how people would like to be described. Most people know that strokes can cause one side of the face to droop, weakness of an arm or a leg, trouble walking, and slurred speech. Background: The Centers for Disease Control define traumatic brain injury as an injury that affects how the brain works.. The device does not fully restore hearing, but it gives a representation of sounds to help a person understand speech. National Institute of Neurological Disorders. Avoid using it casually as it may be offensive and inaccurate. A birth defect is a physical or biochemical difference that is present at birth. The institute states, It is common for people to have mixed dementia a combination of two or more types of dementia. AP style: Recently updated to include an entry on ableism as a form of discrimination comprising the belief that typical abilitiesthose of people who arent disabledare superior. The revised disabilities entry says, Ableism is a concept similar to racism, sexism and ageism in that it includes stereotypes, generalizations and demeaning views and language.. The storys historical context Rights Division disability Rights Section offensive by some, do not use ocd as an for! Dements, senile or senility to refer to someone with an amputation generally! 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