Also read: things not to say, disability, legislation, workplace, peer relationships
Maybe it seems obvious that you shouldn't use the word "retarded," but what about other terms like "handicapped" or "special"? What language should you choose when speaking about or communicating with people with disabilities? DiversityInc asked experts to provide guidance on choosing the right words.
Best Words
Although there are several different accepted terms and words for people with disabilities, one thing is for sure: "The disability shouldn't be the focus—it's just a condition the person has, not how we define the person," says Lori Golden, Ernst & Young's AccessAbilities leader and inclusiveness consultant. AccessAbilities is an employee-resource group at Ernst & Young (No. 3 in The 2009 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity®) that provides guidance on and raises awareness of workplace issues affecting people with disabilities.
Golden adds that "'Disabilities' is a widely accepted term. 'With differing abilities' or 'differently-abled' are fine, though less common. Those last two terms are reminders that each of us has abilities that are greater or lesser—it's just a question of what those are."
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Deborah Dagit, vice president and chief diversity officer of Merck & Co. (No. 8 in the DiversityInc Top 50), recommends, "For referring to the group, I think 'people with disabilities' in the United States is still the preferred term, or the 'people-first language' that was recommended at the time when the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed."
"People-first language" puts emphasis on placing the individual BEFORE the disability. Two examples are "people with disabilities," not "disabled people," or "the manager who is blind" and not "the blind manager."
As a corporation, Merck & Co. has chosen the term "differently abled." "Unfortunately, the word 'disability' in many languages does not translate in a positive way," says Dagit. Outside the office, however, she recognizes varying opinions about that term. "I think 'differently abled' is evolving as we become more truly global in search for a language that works across geographic boundaries. But I wouldn't say that's the term that everyone would choose," she adds.
Which companies understand the best ways to recruit, retain and promote people with disabilities? Check out The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for People With Disabilities list.
Nancy Starnes, director of external affairs for the National Organization on Disability (NOD), wouldn't choose that term for herself. "I prefer 'people with disabilities,' since 'differently' suggests setting me apart from the general population," she says. "I'm no different than thousands of other wheelchair users. I think of differently abled as a category for super athletes, computer high-techies or brainiacs. My knowledge and abilities are pretty average."
But if you ask Jim Sinocchi, director of workforce communications for IBM Corp. (No. 10 in the DiversityInc Top 50), he's not really one for semantics. While he prefers the term "people with disabilities," the language he would choose would simply reflect "people [being] respectful, thoughtful and considerate to another human being."
Words to Avoid
Unfortunately, some of the offensive or incorrect terms have woven themselves into our common speech, words such as "special" and "wheelchair-bound." Make sure that you steer clear of any of the following terminology:
'Retarded'
"When I grew up, 'retarded' was the term used for people with below-average intelligence," says Golden. "Now, it's much more acceptable to say someone has intellectual, developmental or cognitive disabilities." Outside the medical field, Golden also advises using "mental-health issue" or "condition" instead of "mental illness."
'Handicapped'
"[This term] connotes a time when pity was considered an acceptable response rather than the current emphasis on empowerment and inclusion," says Golden.
For more in-depth information on employment data for people with disabilities, visit DiversityIncBestPractices.com.
'Disabled'
"[This term] is highly offensive; it negates a person's individuality and reduces her to a category generally perceived as negative," says Golden.
'Special'
"When you say 'special' with the connotation of disability it means that it's been adapted so that it's not at the same level," says Dagit. "In the context of employment, where people want to be competitive and be seen as valuable, it's really helpful to avoid the term 'special' because it means that you're going to need to be held to a different standard rather than expect the same things as you would your other colleagues."
'Wheelchair-Bound'
"Nobody is tied to their wheelchair," says Dagit. "And if the chair has a motor, the best way to refer to it is not an 'electric chair,' because that doesn't have very good connotations, but as a 'power chair.'"
'Gimp' or 'Crip'
Sinocchi makes his objection to this word very clear: "Calling anybody by a derogatory name like that, you just don't do it. It's not funny, it's demeaning and it's only meant to demean."
Etiquette for a Coworker to Ask
In an effort to bridge the gap with a coworker with a disability, people may want to find the most respectful way to address their coworker's disability. Timing, of course, is key. "I strongly suggest that be a conversation that happens after a strong rapport is established," advises Dagit. "But once you get to know the person, you can simply ask them, 'How do you prefer to have your condition referred to?' Rather than have questions in your mind, people with disabilities would generally prefer that they be given the opportunity to give you the right information."
When colleagues ask Sinocchi about why he uses a wheelchair, he makes a point of being open. "It goes back to knowing who you are, knowing how you're perceived by other people, and then operating that way," he says. "I'm not saying operate to the stereotypes, but operate to that level where you understand where people are coming from because they're unfamiliar with you."
Given the sensitive subject, though, you may not always end up with a simple resolution. "By asking about word preferences, a coworker indicates respect for the individual but may find that there is no one solution to the PC of words that will satisfy everyone," says Starnes.
Click here to watch a video featuring Merck & Co.'s Dagit talking about how reality TV has changed the way others see her.
For more pointers on successful workplace communication with people with disabilities, read 'But You Look So Good!' and 7 Other Things NOT to Say to a Person With a Non-Visible Disability and check out our disability roundtable in the Nov./Dec. 2009 issue of DiversityInc magazine.
