You Should Always Use People First Language when Talking about People with Disabilities

Words have power. Self-advocates with intellectual disabilities have clearly stated that negative language leads to harmful action, discrimination, abuse, negative stereotypes, disenfranchisement, and violence. “Retard” and “retarded” are derogatory and dehumanizing terms — on par with the N-word used to describe African Americans, and various hateful terms used to describe members of the Jewish, gay and lesbian, and other minority communities. In addition, words and labels can cause others t...