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. Background: Non-disabled refers to someone who does not have a disability. NCDJ Recommendation: Non-disabled or does not have a disability are acceptable terms when referring to people who do not identify as having a disability. Many prefer blind or blind person, while others prefer a person with blindness. Other commonly used terms include: Because these terms tend to be imprecise, consider asking how the visual condition affects acuity. The terms depressed, depressing and depressive are acceptable in other contexts when the person being referenced does not have a medically diagnosed condition. People with cerebral palsy can exhibit a variety of symptoms. Instead, define it as an electronic device that can assist a person who is deaf or hard of hearing in understanding speech. By definition, developmental disabilities manifest before age 22. But note that there is no universal agreement on the use of these terms not even close. Severe implies judgement; significant might be better. Heart attack: Heart attacks cause pain, exhaustion, and shortness of breath, which can result in slurred speech. Its best to avoid using clean and dirty with regard to drug test results, according to the Center for Substance Abuse and Treatment. However, only about 15% of those with eye conditions are totally blind. It is considered highly derogatory to describe someone with Down syndrome as being mongoloid.. Stroke. These personalities, medically known as alters, can exhibit different speech patterns, mannerisms, attitudes, thoughts, gender identities and even physical characteristics. NCDJ Recommendation: It is preferable to use a medical professionals diagnosis or, if that is not possible, terms such as comatose or non-responsive. Avoid referring to someone as a vegetable or veg as such words dehumanize the person. 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. Background: Dyslexia is a learning disability characterized by challenges identifying speech sounds and learning how to connect them to letters and words, according to the Mayo Clinic. News reports covering sensitive topics, such as abuse, assault, addiction, suicide, combat and violence, frequently contain descriptive scenarios that can deeply effect audiences. However, advocates support the device for suitable candidates. Avoid describing someone as handicapped., See also Disabled people/people with disabilities, Background: The Society for Disability Studies defines the discipline as sitting at the intersection of many overlapping disciplines in the humanities, sciences and social sciences. 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. Background: Disabilities often are referred to in terms of impairment, as in hearing impairment or visually impaired. Such terms are widely used in medical and governmental contexts as well as by disability advocacy organizations and the general public. Several U.S. disability groups have always used identity-first terms, specifically the culturally Deaf community and the autistic rights community. These conditions also are called toxicant-induced loss of tolerance, environmental illness or sick-building syndrome.. You can also download the NCDJ Style Guide as a PDF. For example, emotional intelligence also is important when considering a persons overall intelligence, according to the American Psychological Association. The World Federation of the Deaf has taken the stance that hearing impaired is no longer an acceptable term. AAC may be used on second reference. For example: He has muscular dystrophy., Conforms to AP style that suggests avoiding descriptions that connote pity., Background: According to the Mayo Clinic, albinism typically refers to oculocutaneous (ok-u-low-ku-TAY-nee-us) albinism (OCA) a group of inherited disorders that results in little or no production of the pigment melanin. NCDJ Recommendation: Refer to an individuals mental illness only when it is relevant to the story and youre confident there is a medical diagnosis. WebAccording to the National Association of the Deaf, there are approximately 28 million deaf and hearing-impaired people in the U.S.--roughly 10 percent of the total population. The term midget was used in the past to describe an unusually short and proportionate person. Background: Schizophrenia is a serious chronic mental illness characterized by distorted recognition and interpretations of reality, affecting how an individual thinks, feels and acts, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.Common symptoms include visual and auditory hallucinations, delusional and disordered thinking, unresponsiveness, and a lack of pleasure in daily life and other social issues. Some prefer being called dyslexic, others prefer people-first language, as in a person with dyslexia.. Dementia is not a specific illness; it refers to a wide range of symptoms. In an official position statement, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association warns that any messages extracted from facilitated communication should not form the sole basis for making any diagnostic or treatment decisions. Other organizations, including the American Psychological Association and the International Society for Augmentive and Alternative Communication also oppose facilitated communication. Symptoms may include reliving the traumatic event, avoidance of certain behaviors, negative emotions, or physical symptoms such as dizziness or nausea. The Registry of Interpreters of the Deaf has a searchable database of registered interpreters. NCDJ Recommendation: Avoid using the terms high functioning and low functioning. Instead, use medical diagnoses and describe an individuals abilities and challenges, rather than using less-specific labels. According to the National Institute on Aging, other dementias include Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal disorders and vascular dementia. Use the term hypothyroidism instead. But not all people who appear to haveseizures haveepilepsy, a group of related disorders characterized by a tendency for recurrentseizures., NCDJ Recommendation: Refer to someone as having epilepsy only if the information is relevant to the story and if youre confident there is a medical diagnosis. Remember that some in the autism community object to the term. AA is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism, according to the groups preamble. Physical damage to the brain: Brain damage can affect both structure and function. Bipolar disorder often develops during late adolescence or early adulthood. Some organizations suggest avoiding the terms demented, dementing, dements, senile or senility to refer to someone with dementia. This is caused by the muscles that are used to create speech not functioning properly or to their best ability. Use the term dwarf only when applied to a medical diagnosis or in a quote. Avoid confined to a wheelchair or wheelchair-bound as these terms describe a person only in relationship to a piece of equipment. A birth defect is a physical or biochemical difference that is present at birth. WebMD explains the difference between epilepsy and seizures in this way: Seizures, abnormal movements or behavior due to unusual electrical activity in the brain, are a symptom ofepilepsy. NCDJ Recommendation: Use the term mental illness instead of insane or mentally deranged, except in a quote or when referring to a criminal defense. 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.. Background: The University of Kansas Research & Training Center on Independent Living describes this as a specific congenital disability involving the lip and gum. 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. NCDJ Recommendation: While it is acceptable to use the terms developmental disability and developmental disabilities, it is preferable to use the name of the specific disability whenever possible. NCDJ Recommendation: It is acceptable to describe a person as someone who uses a wheelchair, followed by an explanation of why the equipment is required. AP style: AP medical stories tend to refer to a specific deformity or deformities rather than describing an individual as deformed., Background: Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life, according to the Alzheimers Association. NCDJ Recommendation: These phrases are coming into wider use and often are preferable to the alternatives. NCDJ Recommendation: Blind may be used for people who have complete or almost complete loss of sight. Avoid made-up words like diversability and handicapable unless using them in direct quotes or to refer to a movement or organization. Legally blind is a broad term for various eye conditions but generally refers to someone whose visual acuity is 20/200 or less even with corrective glasses or contact lenses. However, The National Association of the Deaf supports the identity-first approach. OCD is often treated with pharmaceutical drugs, psychotherapy methods, or a combination of the two. AP style: The style book suggests naming the specific condition when possible rather than making a general reference. I am Hard of Hearing (HoH), AP style: Not addressed except in terms of abbreviation: AA is acceptable on second reference. If a medical diagnosis is not available, use quotes around the term and indicate that a diagnosis has not been confirmed. Dysarthria. Background: Stuttering is a a neurobiological condition that is characterized by interruptions in speech. In addition, there is a difference between impairment and disability, according to the Institute of Human Services. NCDJ Recommendation: Use Tourette syndrome with no possessive or capitalization of syndrome. Refer to someone as having Tourette syndrome only if the information is relevant to the story and if youre confident there has been a medical diagnosis. Similarly, there is not really a good way to describe the nature of a condition. This lack of diversity negatively affects Deaf and hard of hearing (DHOH) people of color, who are subjected to communication barriers when utilizing the services of an interpreter from different ethnic and racial backgrounds as themselves. In the first case, we suggest the answer is no. The fact that someone uses a wheelchair does not make the airplane noise any more or less irritating. As some advocates observe, we are all differently abled. You can also access a Romanian translation of the guide here. Many people prefer people-first language, such as a person with Tourette syndrome or a person diagnosed with Tourette syndrome. Avoid the acronym TS, as it is not widely known. This is increasingly tricky turf. Even in the case of a direct quote, consider how offensive the term is and include the historical context if possible. Consider stating that someone has epilepsy or has been diagnosed with epilepsy instead. NCDJ Recommendation: Avoid these terms as they often are used inaccurately and can be offensive. This also is referred to as deaf-blindness or deafblindness. AP style: The style book suggests using the term survivor with care because it can be imprecise, among other reasons. The concept of triggering originated with early psychoanalytical diagnoses of posttraumatic stress disorder, called war neuroses, in WWI veterans. Avoid using terms such as suffers from or afflicted with in association with the condition. The word special in relationship to those with disabilities is now widely considered offensive because it euphemistically stigmatizes that which is different. NCDJ Recommendation: Colorblind is still generally acceptable, but in the interest of accuracy, consider indicating what kind of color-blindness a person has, such as red-green color-blindness. Congenital is not interchangeable with genetic, as a genetic condition is present from birth but a congenital condition is not necessarily genetic. Signs and symptoms of dysarthria vary, depending on the underlying cause and the type of dysarthria. In those cases, attribute the term or note its historic use. Background: Abnormality is a word used to describe a condition that deviates from what is considered normal. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) Difficulty with speech, including slurred From My Heart Cant Even Believe It: A Story of Science, Love and Down Syndrome, (Amy Silverman, Woodbine House, 2016): The wordretardedhas a slang-free history. This may be due to improper development, damage or disease to any part of the hearing mechanism. Not every person with a disability suffers, is a victim or is stricken. Deaf and hard of hearing became the official terms recommended by the World Federation of the Deaf in 1991. When referring to the legislation whose name includes death with dignity, right-to-die or similar terms, say the law or proposal allows the terminally ill to end their own lives. If the term is in the name of a bill or law, make that clear. This condition happens when a childs brain cant coordinate the muscles that enable speech. The average height of a dwarf is 40.. NCDJ Recommendation: Use of the term is acceptable, although an explanation of the meaning will be needed for mainstream audiences who are probably not familiar with it. Nasal, raspy or strained voice. Sometimes people with paraplegia refer to themselves as a para. In those cases, use the word in quotes. Avoid use of Seeing Eye dog as Seeing Eye is a registered trademark of The Seeing Eye school in Morristown, N.J. Be aware that licensure and/or certification of service animals is a contentious issue in the disability community, so it may be best to refer to the federal definition. 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