Chapter 2: Language to Use When Talking About Disability

Learning Objectives

• Understand the difference between identity-first and person-first language.
• Illustrate disability-inclusive language.
• Summarize communication needs of neurodiverse and neurotypical individuals.

Person-First and Identity-First Language

How do we speak about disability? Should you say, “My nephew, who is dyslexic, loves audiobooks”, or is it more acceptable to say, “My dyslexic nephew loves audiobooks”? The better question may be, should you disclose someone’s personal medical information without their consent? At times, however, we may need to discuss a person’s disability. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. There are, however, two main approaches.

Person-first language respects the personhood of people with disabilities. Person-first language puts the person before the disability. We might say,

• “People with disability” or “people with disabilities”
• “People with mobility disability”
• “Tai has schizophrenia”

Many government services, workplaces, and schools use and recommend person-first language. However, many disability advocates and support services have raised concerns with person-first language and prefer to use identity-first language.

Identity-first language recognizes that disability is a part of who the person is. Identity-first language doesn’t only describe the person’s mind or body, but also the person’s membership of a wider group of people. We might say,

• “Disabled people”
• “I’m Australian and part of the Deaf community”
• “Autistic students and teachers”

 There are many arguments for, and against, person-first and identity-first language. The argument for person-first language is that the person isn’t themselves disabled: the person is only disabled by society. The argument for identity-first language is that disability isn’t negative and may be part of how the person sees themselves (their identity).

 Language is very personal. When talking to a person with a disability, a general rule of thumb is to check or replicate the language that the person uses to talk (or not talk) about disability so that the space is accessible and inclusive for everyone. To ask someone how to talk about their disability, you might say “How would you like me to refer to (or not refer to) your disability?”. Or you could ask “What language do you use when talking about your disability?”.

Activity: General Language for Talking About Disability

The language that we use to talk about disability in general, and about disabled people in particular, has changed over time. Some words previously used are no longer acceptable or appropriate. For example, ‘accessible parking’ is now used instead of ‘handicapped parking’.

The following activity will help develop your understanding of disability inclusive language instead of outdated or inappropriate words. Drag and drop each word or phrase into either the ‘appropriate’ or ‘inappropriate’ side. This is only a starting point: there are lots of different resources online to help you learn more about current disability inclusive terms. The content will also be explained in more detail the text below.

• Handicapped, crippled, special needs (Note: ‘Special needs’ is used in some situations -such as ‘support for special needs’ at a primary school. However, this term shouldn’t be used outside these limited situations)
• Handicapped parking
• Able-bodied, healthy, normal
• Afflicted by, suffers from, victim of, lives with
• Seeing-eye dog, emotional support dogs, epilepsy dog
• Disability accessible

Terms that are considered ‘Appropriate or current’:

• wheelchair accessible, hearing loop enabled, AUSLAN translator available
• People with disability/ies (Note: People with disability/ies’ tends to be used in formal writing) and disabled people/person (Note: ‘People with disability/ies’ and ‘disabled people/person’ can be used interchangeably in disability inclusive communication)
• Accessible parking
• Service dog, service animal
• Person without disability, non-disabled person
• (Person) has (disability)

Diversity of Communication Needs

It is important to understand how neurodivergent communication might differ from neurotypical communication. Neither way is right or wrong; both are perfectly valid methods of communicating. Learning about communication differences will help you to understand your peers and teammates better and ultimately help you all to work constructively together. There are two categories of communication to consider: verbal and non-verbal.

Verbal communication is communication using words. This may be spoken or written. Neurotypical and neurodivergent brains process words differently. Consider this as you draft emails, text messages, or even handwritten reminders. Will your communication partner be able to easily read or hear your message? Is there a better form of communication you should use? What are their communication preferences?

Neurotypical conversation often begins with small talk, such as questions about the weather, how a person’s day is going or other neutral topics to ease into the conversation. However, neurodivergent people may find small talk confusing, or they may prefer a more direct, factual conversation style.In your meetings, be mindful of different communication preferences. Instead of traditional small talk, maybe you can discuss something you all enjoy or are passionate about. This could be the book/movie/tv show you are currently reading/watching, or something interesting you are learning about.

Non-verbal communication is everything except the words. This includes things such as hand gestures, vocal tone, body language, and facial expressions. It also includes the mode through which you communicate. Sending someone a text to break up sends a far different message than doing it in person! Non-verbal communication is where the majority of meaning nuances are derived and makes up between 70-90% of the way humans communicate. There are key areas where neurotypical and neurodiverse brains differ in communication style. Rather than expecting a neurodiverse individual to minimize or mask their behavior to match neurotypical non-verbal communication patterns, communicators should recognize these as natural non-verbal communication behaviors and understand their meanings.

Points to Consider in Neurodiverse Communication:

Stimming:

Credit: Stimming Info 1 by MissLunaRose is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Eye Contact:

• Neurotypical brains often expect a communication partner will make eye contact to show they are listening. However, for neurodivergent people, eye contact can be particularly challenging, and some even describe it as physically painful. This may mean when you are communicating with a group member, they may prefer not to look you in the eyes. This is not them being rude, rather they want to give themselves the best chance to process what you are saying (McGlensey, 2016).
• If eye contact is something you find challenging, it can be helpful to let your group members know so to minimize misinterpretations. Never demand eye contact from a communication partner.

Tone:

• Autistic people in particular may find it difficult to interpret the tone of others, and/or they themselves may speak with a ‘flat affect’ or have less changes in their tone when speaking.
• Tone is often used as an indicator of sarcasm or humor; thus, it may be difficult for neurodiverse brains to discern their use. Or, when they speak without changes in vocal tone, it may seem like they are not interested or engaged, even though that is rarely the case.
• When working in your group, use clear and direct language. Listen to the words, not their tone. (Autistic Science Person, 2021)

Masking:

• Masking is the process of adapting, changing or hiding one’s natural behaviors and communication styles in order to ‘fit in’ or appear ‘socially acceptable’. Neurodivergent people and people in minority groups often engage in masking, both consciously and sometimes unconsciously.
• For neurodiverse individuals, this may look like suppressing stimming behaviors, forcing themselves to make eye contact, or ignoring overwhelming sensory stimuli. Long term consequences of masking might include exhaustion, maladaptive coping strategies, or burnout.
• Masking is included here so that you can be aware of the importance of creating a safe group environment for peers to be themselves. Remember that how a group member presents in the project is not necessarily an indication of their functioning. They may leave the group environment and sleep for 3 hours because of how draining it was, or they may leave and be overstimulated from trying to suppress all their energy and movement (Autistic Advocate, n.d.).

Key Takeaways & Summary

Now that you’ve read the chapter, write a summative conclusion with your key takeaways. What information do you want to remember? How does it all tie together, and why does this information matter? You will thank yourself when it’s time for the exam.

Authors & Attribution

The content in the “Person-First and Identity-First Language” and “General Language for Talking about Disability” sections was adapted by Menhenett et. Al (2025) from “What is disability? Speaking Me, Hearing You: A learning toolkit for talking about disability” by Rebecca Muir and Deakin University’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Team ©Deakin University 2024 and is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.

References

Autistic Advocate. (n.d.). Autistic masking and autistic burnout. https://theautisticadvocate.com/autistic-masking/

Autistic Science Person. (2021, January 9). Neurotypicals: Listen to Our Words, Not Our Tone. https://autisticscienceperson.com/2021/01/09/neurotypicals-listen-to-our-words-not-our-tone/

McGlensey, M. (2016, February 16). 16 People With Autism Describe Why Eye Contact Can Be Difficult. The Mighty. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/16-people-with-autism-describe-why-1361708267716662.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9hdXRpc21tYXN0ZXJjbGFzcy5jb20v&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAADunE7nuoFtt9Ly96sP7Y8XPxXMeJvmHrfmrdv2Q6PBe6U-9rR6oNCdmQfk30tfxW2P175UxmSBf5FO5jIy5X4lGn1e5Pd7VTrCfr7J06Ryvn8mAxUWzdDzHvsIAjM7LcdHB8u8-eQNIAbPEOSMfHxlo4ivVxT-v1GAdemy-tnWg

National Autistic Society. (2020, August 14). Stimming- a guide for all audiences. https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/behaviour/stimming/all-audiences