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Confined to a Wheelchair
Invalid
Disabled
Stroke Victim
These words paint a picture of incapacity and inability when
they are used to describe people with disabilities. Fortunately, we have the
opportunity to change the way people with disabilities are viewed. Efforts
continue in Michigan to promote the independence, abilities, competency, and
talents of people with disabilities.
The Michigan Commission on Disability Concerns, with the
cooperation of the Michigan Jobs Commission-Rehabilitation Services, the
Michigan Commission for the Blind, and the Michigan Developmental Disabilities
Council, has compiled a list of appropriate terms and acceptable alternatives to
use when writing or talking about people with physical or mental disabilities.
We can help put an end to discrimination by paying more
attention to how we communicate, and help reduce the seventy percent of
unemployment rate among people with severe disabilities. Together, we can change
what it means to be a person with a disability in America today by promoting
independence through equality.
The Michigan Commission on Disability Concerns serves as an
advocate and information resource for the state's 1.7 million people with
disabilities. The Commissions mission is to achieve full participation, choice,
and self-determination for each individual with a disability in a way that
promotes awareness of disability issues; and values equity, dignity, and
diversity consistent with the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
For more information, write to or call the Commission at:
Michigan Commission on Disability Concerns
P.O. Box 30659
Lansing, MI 48909
(517) 334-8000 (Voice or TTY)
Fax: (517) 334-6637
E-Mail:
Mcdc@State.mi.us
www.mfia.state.mi.us/mcdc/mcdc.htm
What Is in a Name is reprinted with permission of the FIA
Director. If you wish to purchase this article/brochure, please contact the
State of Michigan Family Independence Agency.
The Family Independence Agency will not discriminate against
any individual or group because of race, sex, religion, age, national origin,
color, marital status, political beliefs or disability. If you need help with
reading, writing, hearting, etc., under the Americans with Disabilities Act, you
are invited to make your needs known to an FIA office in your county.
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Person with a disability |
Disabled person, cripple,
abnormal, crip, gimp |
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Person who has mental or physical disabilities |
Disabled victim,
unfortunate victim, poor, pitiful, abnormal
deformed, invalid |
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Person without a disability |
Normal, complete, whole |
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Person who has a mobility impairment, wheelchair
user, or person who uses a wheelchair |
Wheelchair bound, confined
to a wheelchair, wheelchair victim |
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Person with quadriplegia, paraplegia, person who
is paralyzed, or person who uses a wheelchair |
Quad, quadriplegic,
paraplegic |
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Person who uses crutches or cane, or other
mobility device |
Cripple, gimp |
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Person who has..., Person who experienced...,
Person with..., |
Victim of, suffers from,
afflicted with, stricken with |
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Person who has a disability, resulting from or
caused by... |
Invalid, victim, afflicted
with... |
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Person who has had a stroke |
Stroke victim, suffered
from a stroke |
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Person with a congenital characteristic or a
congenital disability |
Birth defect |
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Person with mental illness or disability,
psychiatric disability |
Mental deviant or crazy,
mentally deranged, insane, former mental patient |
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Person with mental retardation, person who has
mental retardation |
Retard, moron,
feebleminded, mentally deficient, defective |
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Person with a brain injury |
Brain damaged, brain
injured victim |
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Person with a closed head injury |
Closed head injured victim |
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Person with Arthritis |
The Arthritic |
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Person who has epilepsy |
The epileptic |
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Person who has a speech disorder, a person
without speech, or a person with a speech
impairment |
Mute |
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Person of short stature, dwarf, little person |
Midget |
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Person who is deaf or hard of hearing; deaf
person; *Deaf person; hard of hearing person;
deaf and hard of hearing person; deaf; hard of
hearing
Capitalized "D" means Deaf people who are
part of the Deaf culture. |
Deaf mute, deaf and dumb,
hearing impaired, deaf and hearing impaired, the
deaf, hearing disabled, communicatively impaired |
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Person who is blind, person with a visual
impairment |
Blink, blur, squint, bluff |
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Person with Down Syndrome |
Mongoloid, Down |
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Person with Cerebral Palsy |
Palsied, spastic, spas |
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Person with learning disabilities |
Retard, lazy, stupid |
Download
PDF Version of
What's in a Name
(pdf 39kb)
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