Disability language and etiquette

Inappropriate and appropriate language guide

Inappropriate: The Disabled

Appropriate: Disabled people

Inappropriate: People with disabilities

Appropriate: Disabled people

Inappropriate: Children with disabilities

Appropriate: Disabled children

Inappropriate: Invalid

Appropriate: Disabled person

Inappropriate: Severely disabled

Appropriate: Requires substantial or significant personal help

Inappropriate: Disabilities

Appropriate: Impairments (or state actual medical condition)

Inappropriate: Suffers from

Appropriate: Living with (state medical condition)

Inappropriate: Mental illness/mental health problems

Appropriate: Living with a mental health problem or diagnosis if appropriate but being referred to by name is preferred.

Inappropriate: Mentally handicapped

Appropriate: People with learning difficulties

Inappropriate: Learning disabilities

Appropriate: People with learning difficulties

Inappropriate: The deaf

Appropriate: Deaf people/hard of hearing people (specify which group) or hearing impaired people

Inappropriate: The blind

Appropriate: Blind people/partially sighted people (specify which group) or visually impaired people

Inappropriate: Care

Appropriate: Personal help/personal support

Inappropriate: Carers (only to be used when the individual disabled person cannot make decisions for her/himself)

Appropriate: Family members, relatives and friends

Inappropriate: Carers (meaning paid home carers)

Appropriate: Personal assistants

Inappropriate: Special needs

Appropriate: Specific requirements (state what these are)

Inappropriate: Disabled toilet

Appropriate: Accessible toilet

Inappropriate: Disabled parking

Appropriate: Orange/Blue Badge holder parking

Inappropriate: Wheelchair accessible

Appropriate: Wheelchair/scooter user or accessible to wheelchair/scooter users

Inappropriate: For wheelchairs

Appropriate: For wheelchair users

Contact

Stephen Knell

Access Officer

Building Control

Town Hall

1 Town Square

Barking

IG11 7LU

Tel: 020 8227 2313

Fax: 020 8227 3916

Minicom: 020 8227 3034

Email: stephen.knell@lbbd.gov.uk|

Karen West

Manager

Barking and Dagenham CIIIL Consortium

St George's Centre

St George's Road

Dagenham

RM9 5JB

Tel: 020 8227 5412

Fax: 020 8592 6686

Minicom: 020 8592 6684

Email: kw.bdcil@btinternet.com|