Source
National Center on Disability and Journalism
NCDJ Disability Language Style Guide
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About
The National Center on Disability and Journalism (NCDJ) provides resources and guidance to journalists, content creators, and communicators who cover disability. It has been housed at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University since 2008. The center states that it “does not advocate a particular point of view”; its concern is the journalistic principles of accuracy, fairness, and diversity in coverage of disability issues and of people with disabilities.
Its Disability Language Style Guide (2021) is an alphabetical set of recommendations on disability-related terms, each with background and suggested usage. In the commons it anchors the Disability & Mental Health chapter, behind terms such as disability, ableism, deaf, and the chapter’s rejected-label entries.
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The guide is published openly on NCDJ’s site (linked above) and was live as of the last check. Host posture is private-mirror-link-out: the commons keeps a private preservation copy for citation verification and links readers to NCDJ’s authoritative version rather than republishing it. Quotes are held within fair-use limits.
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Terms citing this source
- Abnormal Avoid
“avoid using such words to describe a person. Referring to someone who does not have a disability as a "normal person" implies that people with disabilities are deviant or strange. "Typical" can be a better choice. Be cautious when using the term "abnormal behavior." …”
— "Abnormal/abnormality" entry, NCDJ Recommendation
- Ableism Use
““Ableism” refers to discrimination and social prejudice against people with disabilities. Ableism comes in all forms, from overt prejudice to more subtle microaggressions. … The term may not be understood by all, so an explanation may be required.”
— Ableism/Ableist entry, Background + NCDJ Recommendation
- Accessible Use
“Avoid using “handicap” and “handicapped” when describing a person. … The terms are still widely used and generally acceptable when citing laws, regulations, places or things, such as “handicapped parking,” although many prefer the term “accessible parking.””
— Handicap/handicapped entry, NCDJ Recommendation
- Addict Avoid
“It is preferable to refer to someone who harmfully uses drugs as "someone with a drug addiction" rather than an "addict." … Avoid "alcoholic", "addict", "user" and "abuser" unless individuals prefer those terms for themselves or if they occur in quotations or names of organizations …”
— "Addict/addiction" entry, NCDJ Recommendation + Conforms to AP style
- Addiction Use with care
“"Addiction" is an acceptable term, although some prefer "substance abuse disorder." It is preferable to refer to someone who harmfully uses drugs as "someone with a drug addiction" rather than an "addict."”
— "Addict/addiction" entry, NCDJ Recommendation
- Alcoholic Avoid
“Refer to someone who harmfully uses alcohol as "a person with alcoholism" rather than an "alcoholic," which tends to identify someone solely by their disease. Use "recovering" to refer to someone with the disease of addiction…”
— Alcoholic/alcoholism entry, NCDJ Recommendation
- Autism Use
“Some people with autism prefer being referred to as "autistic" … 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. Ask individuals how they prefer to be described.”
— Autism/autism spectrum disorder/autistic entry, NCDJ Recommendation
- Blind Use with care
“"Blind" may be used for people who have complete or almost complete loss of sight. … It is best to ask your sources what they prefer … Many prefer "blind" or "blind person," while others prefer "a person with blindness."”
— "Blind/legally blind/limited vision/low vision/partially sighted/visually impaired" entry, NCDJ Recommendation
- Crazy Avoid
“These words were once commonly used to describe people with mental illness but are now considered offensive. … Do not use these words, particularly when reporting on mental illness, unless they are part of a quote that is essential to the story.”
— "Crazy/loony/mad/psycho/nuts/deranged" entry, Background + NCDJ Recommendation
- Cripple Reclaimed in community
“Avoid using "cripple" as either a noun or verb unless you are describing the "crip" movement or if it's in a direct quote.”
— "Cripple/crip" entry, NCDJ Recommendation
- Deaf Use
“"Deaf" or "hard of hearing" are the preferred terms. Uppercase when referring to the "Deaf" community and lowercase when referring to the condition. … The National Association of the Deaf supports the identity-first approach.”
— "Deaf" entry, NCDJ Recommendation
- Depression Use with care
“Refer to someone as having depression only if the information is relevant to the story and you are confident there is a medical diagnosis. … The terms "depressed," "depressing" and "depressive" are acceptable in other contexts when the person being referenced does not have a medically diagnosed condition.”
— Depression entry, NCDJ Recommendation
- Differently Abled Avoid
“This term came into vogue in the 1990s as an alternative to "disabled," "handicapped" or "mentally retarded." Currently, it is not considered appropriate (and for many, never was). Some consider it condescending, offensive or simply a way of avoiding talking about disability.”
— "Differently-abled" entry, Background
- Disability Use with care
“While it is usually acceptable to use these terms, keep in mind that disability and people who have disabilities are not monolithic. Avoid referring to “the disabled” … When describing individuals, do not reference disabilities unless it is clearly pertinent to the story.”
— Disabled/disability entry, NCDJ Recommendation
- Disabled Use
“While it is usually acceptable to use these terms, keep in mind that disability and people who have disabilities are not monolithic. Avoid referring to "the disabled" … When describing individuals, do not reference disabilities unless it is clearly pertinent to the story.”
— Disabled/disability entry, NCDJ Recommendation
- Handicapped Avoid
“Avoid using "handicap" and "handicapped" when describing a person. … The terms are still widely used and generally acceptable when citing laws, regulations, places or things, such as "handicapped parking," although many prefer the term "accessible parking."”
— "Handicap/handicapped/handicapable" entry, NCDJ Recommendation
- Injury Avoid
“Refer to injuries as being "sustained" or "received" rather than "suffered," as "suffer" implies that an injured person is a victim or somehow less than a person who has not been injured. Use of "sustain" or "receive" removes the implied judgment.”
— Injury/injuries entry, NCDJ Recommendation
- Insane Avoid
“In U.S. criminal law, insanity is a legal question, not a medical one. … Use the term "mental illness" instead of "insane" or "mentally deranged," except in a quote or when referring to a criminal defense.”
— "Insane/insanity/mentally deranged/psychopathology" entry, Background + NCDJ Recommendation
- Lame Avoid
“Avoid using "lame" or "lamebrain" to describe a person except in a quote. In the case of a leg injury, explain instead that an injury resulted in difficulty walking.”
— Glossary entry: Lame/lamebrain — NCDJ Recommendation
- Little Person Use with care
“Use of the word "dwarf" is considered acceptable when referring to the genetic condition, but it is often considered offensive when used in a non-medical sense. The term "midget" … is now widely considered a derogatory slur.”
— Glossary entry: Dwarf/little person/midget/short stature
- Mental Health Use with care
“Refer to an individual's mental illness only when it is relevant to the story and you're confident there is a medical diagnosis. Whenever possible, specify the specific illness a person has rather than mental illness in general. Always refer to someone with a mental illness as a person first.”
— Mental illness/mental disorder entry, NCDJ Recommendation
- Mental Illness Use with care
“Refer to an individual's mental illness only when it is relevant to the story and you're confident there is a medical diagnosis. Whenever possible, specify the specific illness a person has rather than mental illness in general. Always refer to someone with a mental illness as a person first.”
— "Mental illness/mental disorder" entry, NCDJ Recommendation
- People With Disabilities Use with care
““Disabled people” is an example of identity-first language (in contrast to people-first language). … NCDJ Recommendation: Ask the disabled person or disability organizational spokesperson about their preferred terminology. Conforms to AP style, which adds that in describing groups of people, or when individual preferences cannot be determined, use person-first language.”
— Entry: Disabled people/people with disabilities
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“"Behavioral health hospital" or "psychiatric hospital" are the preferred terms to describe medical facilities specifically devoted to treating people with mental health conditions.”
— "Insane asylum/mental health hospital/psychiatric hospital" entry, NCDJ Recommendation
- Retarded Avoid
“Do not use the term retarded or other iterations. If you are going to use it in a quote, consider that decision carefully, as the word is particularly charged. … the term "intellectually disabled" is acceptable.”
— "Mentally retarded" entry, NCDJ Recommendation
- Schizophrenic Avoid
“Many people prefer people-first language, such as "a person with schizophrenia"… rather than a "schizophrenic"… Do not use the word "schizophrenic" colloquially as a synonym for something inconsistent or contradictory.”
— Schizophrenia/schizophrenic entry → NCDJ Recommendation
- Special Needs Avoid
“Avoid using these terms when describing a person with a disability or the programs designed to serve them, with the exception of government references or formal names of organizations and programs. … The term "functional needs" is preferred when a term is required.”
— Glossary entry: Special/special needs/functional needs — NCDJ Recommendation
- Suicide Use with care
“Avoid using "committed suicide" except in direct quotations from authorities. Alternate phrases include "killed himself," "took her own life" or "died by suicide." The verb "commit" with "suicide" can imply a criminal act. … Do not refer to an "unsuccessful suicide attempt."”
— Suicide entry, AP style note
- Survivor Use with care
“Terms such as “battle” and “survivor” are still widely accepted and understood, but the user should be aware that they could offend some people.”
— Survivor/battle entry, NCDJ Recommendation
- Victim Avoid
“These terms carry the assumption that a person with a disability is suffering or has a reduced quality of life. … It is preferable to use neutral language when describing a person who has a disability, simply stating the facts about the nature of the disability.”
— "Afflicted with/stricken with/suffers from/victim of" entry, NCDJ Recommendation