Also written: differently-abled, handi-capable, differently abled
| Source | Year | Position |
|---|---|---|
| SumOfUs | 2016 | Avoid |
| DC Fiscal Policy Institute | 2017 | Avoid |
| National Center on Disability and Journalism | 2021 | Avoid |
| American Psychological Association | 2023 | Avoid |
| Movement Strategy Center | 2024 | Avoid |
“differently abled”
In the Disability section of A Progressive's Style Guide, SumOfUs lists "differently abled" among the terms to avoid, pairing it with preferred forms such as "disabled person," "person who has a disability," and "person with a disability."
“Avoid … Differently abled … Instead … Person with a disability”
DCFPI's inclusive-language guide places "differently abled" in the Avoid column of its disability recommendations table, offering "person with a disability" and similar person-first phrasings instead, while noting that the preferred terminology of the people involved should govern.
“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.”
NCDJ traces "differently abled" to a 1990s effort to replace harsher labels and reports that it is no longer considered appropriate — read by some as condescending or as a way of avoiding the word disability. The center recommends "person with a disability" as a more neutral term, and notes AP style suggests being specific about the disability instead.
“TERM TO AVOID … SUGGESTED ALTERNATIVE … differently abled … person who has a disability … disabled people's expressed preferences regarding identification supersede matters of style.”
APA's Inclusive Language Guide lists "differently abled" as a term to avoid, suggesting person-first or identity-first alternatives such as "person who has a disability" or "disabled person." Its accompanying comment stresses that disabled people's own expressed preferences supersede matters of style.
“Differently-abled … Special … Gifted … Person with a disability”
Under "Terms to Avoid," the Movement Strategy Center glossary groups "differently-abled" with "special" and "gifted" in its Avoid column for disability language, directing writers to "person with a disability" instead.
The sources are unanimous: “differently abled” is a term to avoid. All five corpus guides advise against it, in avoid/instead tables (SumOfUs, DCFPI, APA, Movement Strategy Center) or a dedicated entry (NCDJ), and point to person-first or identity-first alternatives, most often “person with a disability” or “disabled person” (SumOfUs, DCFPI, APA, Movement Strategy Center, NCDJ). None treats it as a term to handle with care; the recommendation across the board is to drop it.
The shared reasoning is that the phrase functions as a euphemism. NCDJ puts it most directly: the term reads to many as condescending, or as “a way of avoiding talking about disability,” and “for many, never was” appropriate. That is why the guides reach for plainer language. The goal is to name disability accurately rather than soften it. The sources differ only on which plain alternative to use. APA notes that person-first and identity-first preferences vary by community and that a person’s own expressed preference supersedes any style rule, an instance of the commons-wide principle that self-identification comes first.
The treatment is stable across the corpus’s range. NCDJ dates the term’s rise to a 1990s wave of alternatives to harsher labels; SumOfUs (2016) already lists it as one to avoid, and the later guides — DCFPI (2017), APA (2023), Movement Strategy Center (2024) — keep it there.
See the structured audience notes above: journalists and editors should treat the term as one to avoid and default to “person with a disability” or the specific disability; campaigners should understand why the euphemism lands as avoidance rather than respect; and writers should always defer to a person’s own self-identification over any general rule.