WebInclude plenty of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables in their diet. NCDJ Recommendation: Since the term is not in widespread use, its meaning should be explained for a general audience; ask sources how they prefer to describe their relationships whenever possible. Deaf and hard of hearing are the terms recommended by the World Federation of the Deaf and The National Association of the Deaf. Genetic disorders can be caused by a mutation in one gene (monogenic disorder), by mutations in multiple genes (multifactorial inheritance disorder), by a combination of gene mutations and environmental factors, or by damage to chromosomes (changes in the number or structure of entire chromosomes, the structures that carry genes).. Historically it was called mongoloidism, and people with it were called Mongoloids; this is now considered offensive. NCDJ Recommendation: Use person with chemical intolerance or people with environmental illness. Do not use chemophobic as it is considered derogatory. The terms senility and senile denote conditions brought on by aging and often are used incorrectly to denote dementia. Background: The term special needs was popularized in the U.S. in the early 20th century during a push for special needs education to serve people with all kinds of disabilities. Dysarthria can often lead to a complete loss of speech known as anarthria. Also, according to NOAH, the term albino has been used throughout history in a hateful way; therefore many prefer the people-first term, person with albinism.. But it should not be used when referring to a specific person or to a group of people with a specific condition. Heart attack: Heart attacks cause pain, exhaustion, and shortness of breath, which can result in slurred speech. AP style: Cripple is considered offensive when used to describe a person who is lame or disabled. NCDJ Recommendation: If youre an educator, consider alerting students ahead of time if content contains graphic descriptions of traumatic events. Background: This term is used to describe someone who does not identify as having a disability. Instead use the word condition and try to identify the specific diagnosis if possible. Special thanks to Rebecca Monteleone, University of Toledo; Jon Henner, University of North Carolina at Greensboro; Sherri Collins, Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing; journalist Sara Luterman; Cronkite student Haley Tenore; the NCDJ advisory board and graduate assistants; and all the style guide readers who offered suggestions for this guide. Many experts classify autism as a developmental disability. Common symptoms of autism spectrum disorder include difficulties in communication, impaired social interaction and restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities, according to the Institute. Healthyplace.com has a good discussion of the differences. If you are in doubt about how to refer to a person, ask the person. Background: These terms carry the assumption that a person with a disability is suffering or has a reduced quality of life. Background: High functioning and low-functioning are terms used to describe ability levels for people with a variety of conditions, including neurodiversity, intellectual disabilities and mental illness. NCDJ Recommendation: Avoid describing people as gifted or twice exceptional unless they have been identified as such by a professional. Background: The terms mentally retarded, retard and mental retardation were once common terms that are now considered outdated and offensive. There are many types of seizures, which range in severity. Background: According to the National Association for Gifted Children, giftedness is characterized by the capacity to perform above the level of ones peers. See also Epilepsy/epileptic/epileptic fit. If the persons sight had nothing to do with the situation, leave it out. Physical damage to the brain: Brain damage can affect both structure and function. Several U.S. disability groups have always used identity-first terms, specifically the culturally Deaf community and the autistic rights community. Some people prefer person with diabetes rather than a diabetic.. National Center on Disability and Journalism, American Psychiatric Association discourages, National Organization on Albinism and Hypopigmentation (NOAH), National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, . Do not use bipolar as an adjective for something other than a medical condition as for example, when referring to something that rapidly or drastically changes. NCDJ recommendation: Do not apply the term invisible disability to people without asking what they prefer. AP style: The stylebook says injuries may be suffered, sustained or received.. People with psychosis are described as psychotic. Thats OK. You may end up using a derogatory term in a direct quote, but be certain that its fundamental to the story. If a medical diagnosis is not available, use quotes around the word and indicate that a diagnosis has not been confirmed. NCDJ Recommendation: Use the term mental illness instead of insane or mentally deranged, except in a quote or when referring to a criminal defense. See Dwarf, little person/people/midget/short stature. Background: People who use mobility equipment such as a wheelchair, scooter or cane consider the equipment part of their personal space, according to the United Spinal Association. Background: Tourette syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by tics, sudden, purposeless and rapid movements or vocalizations, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders. Use the term hypothyroidism instead. combination of your inner ear and the nerves in your ear. Background: Epilepsy is a chronic neurological and developmental disorder characterized by recurrent, unprovoked seizures, according to the Epilepsy Foundation. Dont use the term SPED as shorthand for special education. A signer is a person who may be able to communicate conversationally with deaf persons but who may not necessarily possess the skills and expertise to accurately interpret complex dialogue or information, according to the . Stroke. NCDJ Recommendation: Refer to someone as having dementia only if the information is relevant to the story and you are confident there is a medical diagnosis. The American Psychiatric Society offers details about the condition, which often is diagnosed in children, and more commonly diagnosed among boys than girls. Disability advocate Anthony Pulrang defines ableism in this way in an article for Forbes: Any statement or behavior directed at a disabled person that denigrates or assumes a lesser status for the person because of their disability. For example, emotional intelligence also is important when considering a persons overall intelligence, according to the American Psychological Association. Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by unreasonable thoughts and fears that lead to repetitive and often ritualized behaviors or compulsions. Jonas Salk introduced the polio vaccine in the 1950s, which drastically reduced cases of polio in the U.S. Brain damage. It can be appropriate when used in a medical context, such as abnormal curvature of the spine or an abnormal test result. However, when used to describe an individual, abnormal is widely viewed as derogatory. The terms signer and interpreter often are used interchangeably but mean different things. Such tics are recurrent, involuntary and non-rhythmic. Most seizures last from 30 seconds to two minutes. NCDJ Recommendation: Use the words psychotic and psychosis only when they accurately describe a medical experience. NCDJ Recommendation: When writing about Tiffany Yus group, use Diversability as a proper name. Its considered offensive. When interviewing someone who is non-verbal, be flexible. Referring to someone who does not have a disability as a normal person implies that people with disabilities are deviant or strange. Background: The term interabled is used by some in the disability community to refer to couples in which one person has a disability and the other does not. Many people prefer people-first language, such as a person with schizophrenia or a person diagnosed with schizophrenia rather than a schizophrenic or a schizophrenic person. Do not use the word schizophrenic colloquially as a synonym for something inconsistent or contradictory. AP style: The stylebook allows the use of vegetative state, describing it as a condition in which the eyes are open and can move, and the patient has periods of sleep and periods of wakefulness, but remains unconscious, unaware of self or others.. NCDJ Recommendation: Avoid language that may legitimize facilitated communication. However, use the term the person prefers if its possible to ask. However, symptoms vary across the spectrum. Background: The Merck Manual ddefines vegetative state as the absence of responsiveness or consciousness in which patients show no awareness of their environment. See entries on Depression and Mental illness/mental disorder. In general, blind or legally blind is acceptable for people with complete or almost complete vision loss. Instead, say the person has paraplegia. They also are sometimes called assistance animals, guide dogs, or Seeing Eye dogs. Its best to avoid using clean and dirty with regard to drug test results, according to the Center for Substance Abuse and Treatment. Less than one percent of the general population has schizophrenia, and it is treated mostly through the use of pharmaceutical drugs. NCDJ Recommendation: Ask the person with a disability how they prefer to be described; if thats not possible, ask a spokesperson for the organization representing the relevant disability for preferred terminology. First, we would like to offer some basic guidelines: Of course, our sources dont always speak the way we write. The appropriateness of the terms is disputed by those within and outside of the organization. They may include: Slurred speech. NCDJ Recommendation: Refer to someone as having attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder only if the information is relevant to the story and if you are confident the person has been medically diagnosed with the condition. NCDJ Recommendation: Neurodiversity can be used as a way of describing someone on the autism spectrum, but because its a relatively new term, consider offering the definition when you use it, particularly in work meant for a mainstream audience. I legit ignore every notification with the word in it.. The condition is a neural tube defect that occurs when the spinal column does not close all the way in the womb. If the source is not available or unable to communicate, ask a trusted family member, advocate, medical professional or relevant organization that represents people with disabilities. The following broad definitions are sourced from Psychology Today: NCDJ Recommendation: Ask professionals how they should be identified, based on their formal training. Instead, state the nature of the disability or injury. However, AP advises against the latter formulation. In addition, there is a difference between impairment and disability, according to the Institute of Human Services. The case for nonspeaking is outlined by the non-profit organization The Guild for Human Services. Others prefer hard of hearing. It is best to ask your sources what they prefer. Slow speech. Most are proud to be Deaf. We also will include some guidance in individual entries here but again, we encourage you to confirm on a case-by-case basis. Avoid using it casually as it may be offensive and inaccurate. This style guide, which covers dozens of words and terms commonly used when referring to disability, can help. NCDJ Recommendation: Refer to someone as having dissociative identity disorder only if the information is relevant to the story and if youre confident there is a medical diagnosis. Common usages include cancer survivor, burn survivor, brain injury survivor or stroke survivor. However, the terms are disliked by some because they imply that those who die simply did not fight hard enough. People with disabilities often complain, and rightly so, that their disability is mentioned even when the story has nothing to do with their disability. In Franco-Provenal (the Romance speech of French Switzerland and adjacent areas of France), a person affected by hypothyroidism was called a cretin, literally, wretch, innocent victim, The word meant simply Christian and emphasized the hypothyroid victims basic humanity.. For example, Down syndrome girl or autistic boy. An example of people-first language is a girl with Down syndrome or a boy with autism. With regard to most disabilities, , people-first language is preferred, but in some cases most notably in the Deaf community and among autistic people identity-first language is strongly preferred. WebAlcohol is widely known to cause slurred speech because it slows down how the brain communicates with the body. Even in the case of a direct quote, consider how offensive the term is and include the historical context if possible. Many people in the Deaf community prefer the use of a lowercase d to refer to audiological status and the use of a capital D when referring to the culture and community of Deaf people. Otherwise, paraphrase and use a more acceptable term. However, whenever possible, ask the individual which term they prefer. For example, millions of Americans are hard of hearing but most do not use sign language and many do not use hearing aids. While these often are technological in nature, such as speech-generating devices, interactive touch screens or amplifiers to boost volume, they also may include drawing, gesturing, signing, finger spelling or picture books, among others. A person enrolled in a treatment center should be referred to as a patient. Should someone who is blind be identified as such in a story about people who have been stranded while hiking and had to be rescued? Many people with chronic illnesses do not consider themselves disabled and thus may be offended by the term. NCDJ Recommendation: The terms deafblind, deafblindness, deaf-blind and deaf-blindness are all acceptable. AA is unaffiliated with any outside organizations or institutions and does not endorse, finance or oppose any causes. AP style: Not specifically addressed, but AP refers to paraplegia in its general disability entry. Its traced to religion in 1636 (he to his long retarded Wrath gives wings); to medicine in 1785 (Polypus, sometimes obstructs the vagina, and gives retarded labour); and later to politics (Arguably, the legacy of communism manifests itself most acutely in the retarded economic development of the east). why is hearing impaired a slur. If Full Deaf, call them Deaf. The term flashback may be used to denote reliving an event that triggered the PTSD. Background: According to the University of Kansas Research & Training Center on Independent Living, disfigurement refers to physical changes caused by burns, trauma, disease or congenital conditions.. NCDJ Recommendation: Many people prefer people-first language, such as a person with tetraplegia rather than tetraplegic, since this implies that the condition defines them. It often is caused by a spinal cord or brain injury and is characterized by the loss of sensory and motor function. WebHearing-impaired This term is no longer accepted by most in the community but was at one time preferred, largely because it was viewed as politically correct. Instead, always try to specify the type of disability being referenced. NCDJ Recommendation: All the terms are acceptable, although, because they are not widely used, an explanation is required for a general audience. Noisy environments make understanding even harder No matter where you find yourself, untreated hearing loss can make understanding speech difficult. AP style: The style book states that congenital disorder is acceptable and recommends being specific about the condition. Always refer to someone with a mental illness as a person first. More. It is characterized by new muscle weakness, joint and muscle pain and fatigue., NCDJ Recommendation: Use the term polio rather than infantile paralysis. People with these conditions often are referred to as quadriplegics and paraplegics, but these terms are considered offensive by some. NCDJ Recommendation: Avoid using lame or lamebrain to describe a person except in a quote. If a medical diagnosis is not available, use quotes around the term and indicate that a diagnosis has not been confirmed. Although involuntary cursing is commonly thought to be a key trait of the disorder, only a minority of those with Tourette syndrome exhibit this symptom. Background: The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines freak as one that is markedly unusual or abnormal, such as a person or animal having a physical oddity and appearing in a circus sideshow. This particular use of the word dates to the middle of the 19th century. 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