Read the following terms out loud. Now read these words out loud. Close your eyes and say the words to yourself. Now compare the types of images and feelings these words create. Listen to the whole message the words convey.
Words are very powerful.
They reinforce our ideas of who we are and who and what we expect we can be. Avoid using words which suggest helplessness or infirmity, such as crippled, victim, handicapped, disabled or invalid. Since having a disability is a part of the lives of people wide disabilities, generally speaking, it is nor a good idea to totally drop any reference to the disability. However, it is healthy to try to put the disability into the context of the whole person. There are always exceptions to every rule.