NCDJ Recommendation: Ask your sources what term they prefer. NCDJ Recommendation: When possible, avoid describing a person or condition as impaired. Alternative language for hearing impairment and visual impairment are offered under those entries. NCDJ Recommendation: 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. NCDJ Recommendation: Do not use the term retarded or other iterations. However, organizations such as the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, the Mayo Clinic and the National Stuttering Association generally use the term stuttering to refer to the speech disorder. 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. Some people with ADHD prefer to say they have the condition; others prefer to say they are ADHD. It has been criticized by some in the Deaf community who are concerned that the device could threaten Deaf culture. Severity and symptoms vary widely. When interviewing someone who is non-verbal, be flexible. It is the preferred terminology in Great Britain and by a number of U.S. disability activists. NCDJ Recommendation: Both terms are acceptable, although many people prefer people-first language, stating that someone is a person with an intellectual disability rather than referring to the person as intellectually disabled. While these often are technological in nature, such as speech-generating devices, interactive touch screens or amplifiers to boost volume, they also may include drawing, gesturing, signing, finger spelling or picture books, among others. If you are in doubt about how to refer to a person, ask the person. The word special in relationship to those with disabilities is now widely considered offensive because it euphemistically stigmatizes that which is different. Background: Identify-first language contrasts with people-first language. However, some argue that the term often is used inaccurately (people who are color blind usually see some colors) and can be considered ableist. NCDJ Recommendation: Deaf or hard of hearing are the preferred terms. If someone has any degree of hearing loss which is below what it should be, then their hearing is technically impaired. NCDJ Recommendation: Cretin is considered a slur to describe a person with intellectual disabilities. NCDJ Recommendation: Do not say someone has had a seizure unless there has been a medical diagnosis. The association recommends using people-first language to describe mental illness in order to avoid defining people by their disability. AP style:Not directly addressed, although the style book recommends avoiding using disability-related words lightly or in unrelated situations. Plain English looks and sounds like standard forms of writing. Another version, Easy English, aims at a lower reading level with short sentences often accompanied by pictures. Many dislike the terms because hearing impaired describes a person in terms of a deficiency or what they cannot do. 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. 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. Many people prefer people-first language, such as a person with schizophrenia or a person diagnosed with schizophrenia rather than a schizophrenic or a schizophrenic person. Do not use the word schizophrenic colloquially as a synonym for something inconsistent or contradictory. NCDJ Recommendation: Avoid language that may legitimize facilitated communication. Others prefer hard of hearing. It is best to ask your sources what they prefer. Background: These words were once commonly used to describe people with mental illness but are now considered offensive. Dysarthria can often lead to a complete loss of speech known as anarthria. Instead, state the nature of the disability or injury. And if you cant ask the person, dont avoid writing about disability. Background: Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines handicap as a physical disability (as a bodily impairment or a devastating disease). The term has fallen out of favor in the disability community. Ask your sources for their preference. The federal definition of a service animal applies to any guide dog, signal dog or other animal trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. This may include animals that guide individuals with impacted vision, alert individuals with impacted hearing to intruders or sounds, provide minimal protection or rescue work, pull a wheelchair or fetch dropped items. Psychologist: A mental health professional trained in the discipline of psychology and who often does psychological testing and research. If the source is not available or unable to communicate, ask a trusted family member, advocate, medical professional or relevant organization that represents people with disabilities. Use the term dissociative identity disorder, not multiple personality disorder, and avoid the acronym DID.. It is not caused by problems in the muscles or nerves but by differences in parts of the brain that control muscle movement. But proceed with extra caution. Even the term disability is not universally accepted. NCDJ Recommendation: Treatment is an acceptable term for medical interventions, and treatment center is acceptable for the establishment in which such practices take place. NCDJ Recommendation: When referring to a cochlear implant, avoid describing it as a corrective device or one that would restore a deaf person to mainstream society. 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. They are frequently used by nonspeaking individuals and those with limited vocabulary to aid or replace oral speech. This is caused by the muscles that are used to create speech not functioning properly or to their best ability. question whether there is such a thing as a gifted child. 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. In this guide, we urge reporters and other communications professionals to refer to a disability only when its relevant to the story being told. AP style: Not addressed except to recommend using hard of hearing without hyphens unless it is an adjective directly preceding a person. Background: Indicates a person who has some loss of both vision and hearing. NCDJ Recommendation: Since the term is not in widespread use, its meaning should be explained for a general audience; ask sources how they prefer to describe their relationships whenever possible. combination of your inner ear and the nerves in your ear. NCDJ Recommendation: It is acceptable to describe a person as someone with muscular dystrophy, followed by a short explanation of what the condition entails. NCDJ Recommendation: The NCDJ endorses The Associated Press style, below. The references angered disability rights advocates, who argued that Hawking achieved remarkable success while using a wheelchair and a computerized voice system, not despite those devices. If a medical diagnosis is not available, use quotes around the term and indicate that a diagnosis has not been confirmed. The stylebook also warns against drawing a connection between mental illness and violent crime and recommends that any source used to characterize a criminal suspects mental health history should have the authority to speak on the matter. NCDJ Recommendation: Avoid these terms as they often are used inaccurately and can be offensive. Inability to speak louder than a whisper or speaking too loudly. In some cases, the word typical can be used to describe a non-disabled condition, although be aware that some in the disability community object to its use. Avoid using defect or defective when describing a disability because the terms imply that the person is somehow incomplete or sub-par. Dysarthria. NCDJ Recommendation: Neurodiversity can be used as a way of describing someone on the autism spectrum, but because its a relatively new term, consider offering the definition when you use it, particularly in work meant for a mainstream audience. The technique was originally developed to help those with significant developmental disabilities, such as some forms of autism and cerebral palsy. It is characterized by new muscle weakness, joint and muscle pain and fatigue., NCDJ Recommendation: Use the term polio rather than infantile paralysis. NCDJ Recommendation: 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. ASL is acceptable on second reference. Spastic cerebral palsy is a common type of cerebral palsy in which the movements of people with the disorder appear stiff and jerky. It can cause changes in your behavior, movements or feelings, and in levels of consciousness. Background: Muscular dystrophy could refer to any of more than 30 genetic conditions characterized by progressive weakness and degeneration of the muscles that control movement, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. 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. Avoid referring to the disabled in the same way that you would avoid referring to the Asians, the Jews or the African Americans. When describing individuals, do not reference disabilities unless it is clearly pertinent to the story. They may prefer non-disabled or enabled as being more accurate. Common symptoms of autism spectrum disorder include difficulties in communication, impaired social interaction and restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities, according to the Institute. The Center states that addiction differs from dependence. Euthanasia should not be used to describe medically assisted suicide or physician-assisted suicide. The AP also suggests using resources from www.reportingonsuicide.org. Refer specifically to the physical changes. Many people in the Deaf community prefer the use of a lowercase d to refer to audiological status and the use of a capital D when referring to the culture and community of Deaf people. Many dislike NCDJ Recommendation: Many people prefer people-first language, such as a person with tetraplegia rather than tetraplegic, since this implies that the condition defines them. NCDJ Recommendation: Refer to someone as catatonic only if it is part of a medical diagnosis. Prior to 2013, subtypes of autism, such as Aspergers syndrome, autism disorder and childhood disintegrative disorder, were classified as distinct disorders. Background: Service animals are trained animals, usually dogs, that provide services to people with disabilities. Thus, deafness may be viewed as a condition that prevents an individual from receiving sound in all or most of its forms. Ableism comes in all forms, from overt prejudice to more subtle microaggressions. NCDJ Recommendation: Refer to someone as having schizophrenia only if the information is relevant to the story and youre confident there is a medical diagnosis. Background: The Center for Inclusive Design defines Plain English as a direct style of writing for people who can read at a reasonable level. Symptoms include restlessness, difficulty in focusing or staying organized and impulsivity. Use the term dwarf only when applied to a medical diagnosis or in a quote. NCDJ Recommendation: Refer to a person with albinism, rather than an albino. NCDJ Recommendation: Avoid referring to an individual as a paraplegic. According to Psychology Today, it is a rare condition that may be associated with other disorders, such as schizophrenia. Then numbers were assigned to words not just mentally retarded, but also terms like imbecile, idiot and moron.. Causes of hearing loss include: Damage to the inner ear. The terms depressed, depressing and depressive are acceptable in other contexts when the person being referenced does not have a medically diagnosed condition. Background: People-first language avoids defining people in terms of their disability. As some advocates observe, we are all differently abled. Mayo Clinic. Background: Epilepsy is a chronic neurological and developmental disorder characterized by recurrent, unprovoked seizures, according to the Epilepsy Foundation. It is now widely considered a derogatory slur. You can also access a Romanian translation of the guide here. Most are proud to be Deaf. Many medical organizations do not use a hyphen when spelling posttraumatic; however the AP does. NCDJ Recommendation: Caregiver is preferable to caretaker when referring to the care of people. WebYSK that "Hearing Impaired" term is incorrect and offensive, use Hard of Hearing when referring to the demographic. Congenital is not interchangeable with genetic, as a genetic condition is present from birth but a congenital condition is not necessarily genetic. Alcoholism is characterized by a loss of control in alcohol use, according to the American Psychiatric Association. Slurred speech after a stroke is the most common Background: Addiction is a treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individuals life experiences. For others who have a loss of vision, the American Foundation for the Blind uses the term low vision, which it describes as uncorrectable vision loss that interferes with daily activities. The foundation says that other terms commonly used to describe vision loss partial sight, partial blindness and poor vision are no longer in general use. AP style: The stylebook recommends using partial hearing loss or partially deaf for those who have some hearing loss. In short, impairment refers to the condition of an organ or structure of the body; disability means that a person has a functional limitation due to an impairment. For example, addressing the functional needs of people with disabilities could be used when referring to a facility or program. Background: Abnormality is a word used to describe a condition that deviates from what is considered normal. Some prefer the term congenital disorder. Programs in Disability Studies should encourage a curriculum that allows students, activists, teachers, artists, practitioners, and researchers to engage the subject matter from various disciplinary perspectives.. It is best to ask your sources what they prefer and take that into consideration. There is debate about when someone with a chronic illness is considered to have a disability. Be cautious about calling someone an ableist just as you would be cautious about calling someone a racist or a sexist. For example, a person may be able to describe having low central or peripheral vision. When referring to a drug test, state that the person tested positive for (drug)., NCDJ Recommendation: 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. Use recovering or in recovery from to refer to someone trying to overcome an addiction; that is, someone recovering from a methamphetamine addiction.. Many people consider defect and other forms of the term offensive when describing a disability as they imply the person is deficient or inferior to others. Again, proceed with caution. Background: These phrases are used to describe conditions in which arms, legs, fingers, or toes are missing, not fully formed or shaped in a different way, either as a result of an amputation or a congenital condition. Common congenital disabilities include Down syndrome, heart-related medical conditions and most forms of cerebral palsy. Keah Brown, a writer and disability activist who has cerebral palsy, tweeted in 2018: I just really cant stand the word cripple, so whenever I see it, I block it out. WebDeafness is defined as "a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification." NCDJ Recommendation:Avoid using invalid to describe a person with a disability except in a direct quote. Journalists also may want to include such warnings in material distributed to a general audience. Writing about disability is complicated and requires sensitivity a must for any form of journalism that involves people. Those with dysarthria often slur or drag their words when they try to pronounce them. Do not use OCD as an adjective for someone who obsesses over certain things but has not been formally diagnosed with the disorder. National Center on Disability and Journalism, American Psychiatric Association discourages, National Organization on Albinism and Hypopigmentation (NOAH), National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, . NCDJ Recommendation: 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 term functional needs is preferred when a term is required. Specific disorders should be used and the source of the diagnosis identified whenever possible. The most common forms of mental illness are anxiety disorders, mood disorders and schizophrenia disorders. Background: Some disability advocates are beginning to shift away from the word nonverbal in favor of nonspeaking, arguing that nonverbal implies that someone doesnt understand language, while nonspeaking does not invite the same judgment. Archaeologist Elisa Perego coined the term long COVID to refer to people with lasting symptoms. Use the term hypothyroidism instead. NCDJ Recommendation: Behavioral health hospital or psychiatric hospital are the preferred terms to describe medical facilities specifically devoted to treating people with mental health conditions. If one method of communication fails to work, try another. Epilepsy manifests differently in individuals: The severity of epileptic seizures, their occurrence rates and the emergence of other health problems differ from person to person. NCDJ Recommendation: Do not call someone disfigured as it is considered derogatory. When renowned scientist Stephen Hawking died in 2018, media accounts referred to him as finally free of the wheelchair he used for decades. Whenever possible, specify the specific illness a person has rather than mental illness in general. Jon Henner, an assistant professor at University of North Carolina at Greensboro, who is Deaf, describes himself as a crip linguist., While some activists have embraced the word, adopting hashtags such as #criplit and #cripthevote, others are very much against its use. Instead, be specific about the condition and use only if relevant to the story. Background: The phrased disabled people is an example of identity-first language (in contrast to people-first language). Background: Cerebral palsy refers to a number of neurological disorders that appear in infancy or early childhood and permanently affect body movement and muscle coordination, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The type and amount of melanin your body produces determines the color of your skin, hair and eyes. If a medical diagnosis is not available, use quotes around the term and indicate that a diagnosis has not been confirmed. Be sensitive when using words like disorder, impairment, abnormality and special to describe the nature of a disability. For example: Eds: Graphic details of the killings could be offensive or disturbing to some readers.. Dont use the term SPED as shorthand for special education. In general, there is no hyphen after inter, so interabled is the correct usage (not inter-abled). NCDJ Recommendation:Avoid using cripple as either a noun or verb unless you are describing the crip movement or if its in a direct quote. permanently and substantially confined to their immediate premises. People-first language is not preferred by all people with disabilities. To become an interpreter, an individual must not only display bilingual and bicultural proficiency but also have the ability to mediate meanings across languages and cultures, both simultaneously and consecutively. If a medical diagnosis is not available, use quotes around the term and indicate that a diagnosis has not been confirmed. Earwax impaction is another culprit. Genetic disorders can be caused by a mutation in one gene (monogenic disorder), by mutations in multiple genes (multifactorial inheritance disorder), by a combination of gene mutations and environmental factors, or by damage to chromosomes (changes in the number or structure of entire chromosomes, the structures that carry genes).. NCDJ Recommendation: Refer to someone as having bipolar disorder only if the information is relevant to the story and you are confident there is a medical diagnosis. A treatment center is an establishment usually run by psychiatric or medical professionals. Alternatively, it is acceptable to say that a person has had a disability since birth or was born with a disability. State the specific disability if possible.