The following document is the most recent version of the language standards at Protest Access.

This document was last updated: 3/26/2021

APA Style Guide: Disability Language

APA Style Guide: Racial and ethnic identity (apa.org)

A general note on identity terms

Always identify a person the way they identify themself. Do not change the terminology around a person’s identity/ies based on your own bias or preference. 

However, it is not always possible to know the particular terms that a person uses. (When possible, ask them!) In this case, please refer to this guide to find the most respectful, appropriate, and affirming terms to use.

d/Deaf/HoH vs. “hearing impaired”:

“Hearing impaired” is a highly offensive term to many people within the d/Deaf/HoH community because it centers hearing as the ideal and therefore assumes that lack of hearing is an impairment. Many Deaf/HoH people do not consider themselves disabled and thus this term is insulting. (It should be noted that there is intra-community debate on whether this stance re:disability is ableist — however, this is a discussion for the community and not for anyone outside of it. As things stand now, we should stick to the general community stance, which is that Deafness is not a disability.) Additional outdated and offensive terms to refer to d/Deaf and hard of hearing people include “deaf-mute” and “deaf and dumb.” These terms should not be used. This webpage from the National Association of the Deaf [link] explains more about offensive terminology to refer to d/Deaf and hard of hearing people and identities.  

What is the difference between deaf and Deaf?

Please refer to this webpage from the National Association of the Deaf [link] for an in-depth explanation. It should be noted that there is an ongoing intra-community debate on whether this dichotomy is useful or whether it is a form of gatekeeping — however, this is once again a discussion for the community and not for anyone outside of it. For now, please continue to acknowledge the difference between “deaf” and “Deaf,” and use “d/Deaf/HoH” in your posting spiel.

What is AAVE and who can use it?

AAVE stands for African American Vernacular English, and refers to a specific dialect of English used by Black Americans. Examples of AAVE you are probably familiar with include words like “finna,” “okurr,” and “chile,” as well as phrases like “YAAASSS hunty,” “spill the tea,” “it be like that,” and “___ on fleek.” AAVE is, unfortunately, yet another aspect of Black culture that white and non-Black people tend to appropriate heavily. AAVE is a true dialect and has its own syntactic and phonological rules, and people outside the community who appropriate it tend to use it incorrectly. 

ProtestAccess as an organization is not solely Black-led; therefore it is important that you do not appropriate AAVE terminology when you post in any capacity that represents us. This includes in any spiel you may use when posting captioned videos or transcripts, as well as in posts from the official account. Please take the time to read through this twitter thread [link] and its linked sources for more information on why it is inappropriate for white people and non-Black PoC to use AAVE.

Additional Sources:

Disabled Person vs. Person with a Disability

The language around disability has shifted many times in recent history. Legal documents, many nondisabled people, and some within the disability community will use person-first language (PFL), i.e. “person with a disability” (person with Down Syndrome, etc.). The idea behind this language is that it is responding to the dehumanization of disabled people that is inherent in derogatory terms. However, many within the disability community use identity-first language (IFL), i.e. “disabled person” (Deaf person, autistic person, etc.). The idea behind this language is that it emphasizes disability as a piece of someone’s identity as well as the fact that disability is a part of humanity. This post by Lydia X.Z. Brown [link] explains the difference between the two styles difference and provides many links to multiple perspectives. This article by Molly Callahan [link] provides some context as well. 

Language around disability is hotly contested, so it is vital to always use the language each individual uses to self-identify. Additionally, some disability communities have generalized language preferences: those with intellectual disabilities tend to use PFL, whereas deaf people and autistic people tend to use IFL. 

However, when an individual’s preference is not known, we default to identity-first language, or “disabled people,” because we recognize that disability is a critical part of one’s experience, identity, and relation with the world. We do not have to center person-ness, because as Sins Invalid [link] states in their ten principles of disability justice, “We value our people as they are, for who they are, and understand that people have inherent worth outside of capitalist notions of productivity.”

Additionally, if using person-first language, do not use negative language like “suffers from [disability]” or “afflicted with [disability].” Keep your language neutral: “has [disability]” or “with [disability].” 

Abled vs. Able-bodied vs. Nondisabled (non-disabled) 

Disability is not a simple binary between those who are disabled and those who are abled, therefore we use nondisabled. Further, the opposite of disabled is not abled, but rather nondisabled. Using the word “able-bodied” to refer to nondisabled people implies that all disabled people do not have “able bodies.” It conflates “disability” with physical disability only, thereby ignoring other kinds of disabilities, while also implying that physically disabled people do not have bodies that are able in non-normative ways. 

Please refer to the National Center on Disability and Journalism’s entry on “able-bodied” [link] and Lauren Smith-Donohoe’s blog post [link] for more information. Further, using the term “nondisabled” centers disabled experiences and identities. Some people use the term “abled” and “nondisabled” interchangeably. 

Disabled vs. Differently-abled (and other euphemisms)

Many nondisabled people avoid saying the word “disability” because they think it has negative connotations. Instead, they use terms like “differently-abled” or “handicapable.” These terms are patronizing. Disability/disabled are not bad words, and they are not inherently negative. As autistic writer and activist Lydia X. Z. Brown explains [link], using euphemisms like “differently abled” stigmatizes disabled people and disability; perpetuating the belief that disability is shameful. They also explain how euphemisms deny disabled people the right to self-identify and deny the political and social elements of disability. Also, this post by disabled activist Emily Ladau [link] further explains the ableism behind some of these euphemisms. 

Antisemitism vs. anti-Semitism

Antisemitism is the correct spelling, despite what autocorrect determines. Capitalizing and hyphenating “Semitism” legitimizes it, despite it being a pseudoscientific racial classification that has since been discredited. The Anti-Defamation League [link] explains the history of the term “Semitic” and the reasons why we do not hyphenate or capitalize the term. Independent Jewish Voices Canada [link] defines antisemitism “as hostility, prejudice, or discrimination against Jews because they are Jews.  We acknowledge the historic scourge of antisemitism, especially in Christian Europe, and its culmination in the Holocaust. Like other Jews, many of us lost family members in that genocide.”

Native American/American Indian vs. “Indian” vs. Indigenous 

Whenever possible, be specific about the nation, group, community or people you are referring to. For example, if you know the person speaking is of the Navajo Nation you should say they are Navajo. 

Use the preferred term that comes to you from the nation. In North America, some nations prefer “American Indian,” others “Native American,” others as “First Nations”. It should not be changed. Many will refer to “Indian Country”. While it may feel odd this is appropriate. Do not change it. “Turtle Island” is also known as Canada. Do not change it. Again, use the language that comes from the nation speaking or the preferences being discussed.

IndigenousCatch-all
Native American/American Indian/Native Hawaiian/ Native AlaskanU.S.-specific
Pacific Islander…
First NationsCanada-specific
Torres Strait Islander/AboriginalAustralia-specific

Slaves vs. Enslaved People

Always use the term “enslaved person/people”; do not use the term “slave/s.” The term “slave” dehumanizes enslaved people. It also obscures the active and ongoing nature of the enslavement that enslavers committed. “Enslaved person” also decenters whiteness and recognizes the agency of enslaved people to self-identify. This article by Lindsey Norward for The Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA) [link] explains these terms in-depth. This article by the Underground Railroad Education Center [link] also explains these terms and other terms that are commonly used to discuss enslavement.  

What is in a Name: 2SLGBTQIA*, 2SQTBIPOC

2SLGBTQIA*: Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Asexual/Aromantic. 

It is imperative to put Two Spirit at the beginning of the acronym to acknowledge that Two Spirit [link] Indigenous Peoples were the first gender and sexual variant communities on Turtle-Island (North America). 

2SQTBIPOC:Two Spirit, Queer & Trans Black, Indigenous, People of Color

Queer vs. LGBT

Generationally, there may be some differences in the use of “queer.” Some older people, who were first introduced to this term when it was used as a slur, may be uncomfortable with it. However, queer activists started to reclaim the word as early as the 1980s. It now can be used to describe one’s personal identity in order to avoid more specific labels. It can also be used as an “umbrella term” for the community as a whole. Many members of the community consider it to be a more inclusive term than LGBT and its variants because the acronym necessarily leaves out various orientations and genders. 

An individual person should not be described as “LGBT.” “LGBT” and all of its variants are used to refer to the entire community and are not a synonym for “gay.” 

Wheelchairs

Never use language of confinement when discussing wheelchairs or wheelchair users (examples: “wheelchair-bound,” “confined to a wheelchair”).  Language of confinement portrays the wheelchair user as restricted and passive. Instead, use the phrases “wheelchair user” or “uses a wheelchair.” Many wheelchair users view wheelchairs as liberating, not limiting. In this post, Karin at Free Wheelin’ Travel [link], a wheelchair user, explains more.  

Capitalizing

CAPITALIZEnon-capitalized
Blackwhite
Deafhearing 
Indigenous/Aboriginal
Cripdisabled
DeafBlind
Blindsighted

Prisoners vs. Offenders vs. Inmates

People who are held in custody, captivity or a condition of forcible restraint are called prisoners. Using “Inmates” denies prisoners the reality of their experiences. Using the word “offender” reinforces negative stereotypes onto people, and is language that tries to rationalize the Prison Industrial Complex. It is preferable to use the term “formerly incarcerated” instead [refer to Fortune Society link]. There is more on language in this post from Prison Studies Project [link]. 

Undocumented vs. “Illegal” vs. “Alien”

Don’t use the term “illegals” or refer to people as “illegal immigrants.” Never refer to someone as an “alien” or “illegal alien.” “Undocumented” is a more accurate description as the person themself is not “illegal”. They are also not from outer space.

Unhoused / houseless vs homeless

People who are living or transient in non-traditional or non-permanent housing are called “homeless”. In much the same vein as a rejection of person-first disability language, homeless acknowledges the reality of the moniker. Additionally, in speaking with homeless people, homeless is their preferred term [link]. 

Ableist language

Many words in English are rooted in ableism. When we use these terms casually, we perpetuate ableism, even if that is not our intention. Mihran Nersesyan’s article [link] explains why these terms should not be used and the harm that they cause. Some examples of these terms are: 

  • Stupid
  • Crazy
  • Lame
  • “Deaf to ___” / “fall on deaf ears”
  • “Blind to ___” / “turn a blind eye” 
  • Idiot
  • Moron

You can find a longer list of these terms here [link, readable PDF]. Lydia X.Z. Brown’s blog, Autistic Hoya [link], also includes an extensive list as well a list of alternatives. Please be careful and make sure not to use these terms when writing both internally and externally. 

General Resources