Guidance

Inclusive language: words to use and avoid when writing about disability

Updated 17 June 2026

1. Language guidelines

Language about disability changes over time, but there is general agreement on some basic guidelines. 

1.1 Collective terms and labels

The word ‘disabled’ is a description, not a group of people. Use ‘disabled people’ not ‘the disabled’ as the collective term.

Many deaf people whose first language is British Sign Language (BSL) consider themselves part of ‘the Deaf community’ – they may describe themselves as ‘Deaf’ with a capital D to emphasise their deaf identity. They may not consider themselves to be disabled.

Avoid medical labels. They say little about people as individuals and tend to reinforce stereotypes of disabled people as ‘patients’ or being unwell. This includes people with non-visible disabilities (for example, those with neurodivergent conditions). It’s important that people are able to self-identify if they are disabled. 

Many people who access disability benefits and services do not identify with the term ‘disabled people’. Where appropriate, consider using more inclusive phrasing, such as ‘people with health conditions’ or ‘impairments’.

1.2 Positive not negative

Avoid phrases like ‘suffers from’ or ‘confined to’ (for example, a wheelchair) which suggest discomfort or constant pain.

Use neutral, factual language such as ‘has’ (for example, an impairment) or ‘uses’ (for example, a wheelchair). 

Avoid passive words which portray disabled people as victims. Use language that respects disabled people as active individuals with control over their own lives.

1.3 Everyday phrases

Most disabled people are comfortable with the words used to describe daily living. People who use wheelchairs ‘go for walks’ and people with sight loss may be very pleased ‘to see you’. Having an impairment may just mean that some things are done in a different way.

Avoid common phrases that may associate impairments with negative things – for example, ‘deaf to our pleas’ or ‘blind drunk’.

2. Words to use and avoid

Use	Avoid
disabled (people)	(the) handicapped, (the) disabled
has [name of condition or impairment]	afflicted by, suffers from, victim of
wheelchair user	confined to a wheelchair, wheelchair-bound
with a learning disability (singular) with learning disabilities (plural)	mentally handicapped, mentally defective, retarded, subnormal
disabled person	cripple, invalid
person with cerebral palsy	spastic
non-disabled	able-bodied
person with a mental health condition	mental patient, insane, mad
d/Deaf[footnote 1], user of British Sign Language (BSL), people who are hard of hearing	deaf and dumb, deaf mute
people with sight loss, blind people, blind and partially-sighted people	the blind
person with epilepsy, diabetes, depression or someone who has epilepsy, diabetes, depression	an epileptic, diabetic, depressive, and so on
someone with restricted growth or short stature	dwarf, midget
seizures	fits, spells, attacks
non-visible	hidden/invisible
accessible parking	disabled/handicapped parking

Neurodevelopmental conditions

Use ‘neurodivergent’ rather than ‘neurodiverse’ to refer to a person who is not neurotypical – for example, for people with conditions such as autism, ADHD or dyslexia. ‘Neurodiverse’ should be used to describe a group of individuals who represent the spectrum of neurodiversity.

3. Some tips on behaviour

When speaking to a disabled person, you should:

• use a normal tone of voice – do not patronise or talk down
• never attempt to speak or finish a sentence for the person you are talking to
• address disabled people in the same way as you talk to everyone else
• speak with them, even if they have an interpreter or companion

1. SignHealth, What is the difference between deaf and Deaf? (2025) ↩