Disability Etiquette: Guidelines for Respectful Interaction and Language

Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 2010/05/06 - Updated: 2025/05/17
Publication Type: Informative
Category Topic: Disability Awareness - Academic Publications

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates

Synopsis: This information provides a comprehensive overview of disability etiquette and awareness, emphasizing the importance of respectful communication and person-first language when interacting with or referring to people with disabilities. It explains that disability etiquette consists of practical guidelines for approaching and speaking with individuals with disabilities, rooted in the Disability Rights Movement of the 1970s. The article highlights that language shapes perceptions, recommending the use of terms that acknowledge the person before the disability and discouraging labels or phrases that imply pity, dependency, or separateness. It stresses the need to treat adults with disabilities as adults, ask before offering assistance, respect individual preferences, and avoid making assumptions about abilities or needs. The guidance also cautions against patronizing attitudes, intrusive questions, and treating people with disabilities as objects of inspiration for performing everyday activities.

Authored by an experienced disability advocate and editor, this resource draws on both lived experience and established best practices, making it a valuable and authoritative reference for anyone-whether a person with a disability, a senior, a caregiver, or a member of the general public-seeking to foster more inclusive, dignified, and effective interactions - Disabled World (DW).

Introduction

What is Disability Etiquette?

Disability etiquette is considered to be a set of guidelines covering how to approach, and speak with, a person with a disability. Disability etiquette grew out of the Disability Rights Movement that began around the early 1970s. In addition, disability etiquette also refers to educating people regarding disabilities, as the biggest barrier's people with disabilities encounter are most often - other people.

Main Content

Communication About People with Disabilities

Language plays a critical role in shaping and reflecting our thoughts, beliefs, and feelings. The way we refer to people can affect the way they are seen by others and the way in which they feel about themselves.

Some people prefer the term 'people with disabilities' because it puts the person first. A person with disabilities is not defined by their impairment. Nobody wants to be given a medical label. References such as 'an epileptic' or 'a diabetic' are considered by some as being dehumanizing. Instead, if you need to refer to a person's condition, say a person who has epilepsy or a person who has diabetes. However, how a person chooses to self-identify is up to them, and they should not be corrected or admonished if they choose not to use identify-first language.

Avoid using language such as 'sufferers from' or 'a victim of' that suggests people with disabilities are frail or dependent on others, or which could make them objects of pity.

Do not use collective nouns such as 'the disabled' or 'the blind'. These terms imply people are part of a group which is somehow separate from the rest of society. However, there is one exception and that is 'the deaf'. This is the preferred term for many people who are deaf who use AUSLAN and see themselves as a cultural minority rather than part of the disabled community.

Communicating With People with Disabilities

When communicating with a person with a disability, rely on your common sense. Ask yourself how you would want to be treated, and always be willing to adapt to a person's individual preference. The basic principle is to put the person before the disability.

Communication skills are vital in developing relationships with people with and without disabilities. Common sense and courtesy tells us to treat people with respect - be patient and listen attentively, speak directly to a person with a disability even if accompanied by an interpreter or companion, never make assumptions about what people can do, don't attempt to speak, or finish a sentence for the person you are speaking to and never ask, "What happened to you?".

Disability Etiquette List

Treat adults as adults
Ask if, and what, assistance may be needed.
Hand grocery or other receipts to the individual who is paying the bill.
Only ask questions about the person's disability if you know that person.
Ask questions of the person with a disability, and not of his/her companions.
If help is required in a given situation, do not assist without asking first.
Always respect the person's dignity, individuality, and desire for independence.
Refer to adults with a disability in the same way you would refer to any other adult.
Never assume you know what assistance, if any, a person with a disability requires.
Treat a person with a disability in the same manner and with the same respect and courtesy as you would anyone else.
Speak directly to the person rather than through the companion, attendant or sign-language interpreter who may also be present.
Never speak about the person as if they are invisible, can't understand what is being said or that they can't speak for themselves.
Do not put people with a disability on a pedestal or talk to them in patronizing terms as if their performing normal, everyday activities were exceptional.
Don't discourage children from asking questions about disabilities. Most people are not offended by questions children ask them about their disabilities or wheelchairs.

Do Not Assume

A person with a disability is easily offended.
Rejection of aid is meant as a personal affront.
That a person with a disability either wants or requires assistance.
A person who appears to have one kind of disability also has others.
A disabled person is dissatisfied with his/her quality of life, and is thus seeking pity.
Companions accompanying a person with a disability are there strictly to render service.
upon acceptance of your help, that you know, without being told, what service to perform.
A person with a disability will be receptive to personal questions, particularly in a public setting.
That when a person with a disability is in a public place, that they are being escorted by a caretaker, instead of traveling alone.
That a person who does not appear disabled, or who uses assistive devices intermittently instead of all the time, is faking or imagining their disability. (See invisible disability.)

Insights, Analysis, and Developments

Editorial Note: The article's clear, practical advice serves as a timely reminder that the greatest barriers faced by people with disabilities are often attitudinal rather than physical. By encouraging readers to reflect on their own behaviors and assumptions, it challenges society to move beyond outdated stereotypes and recognize the individuality and autonomy of every person. In a world that is increasingly aware of diversity, these guidelines are not just helpful-they are essential for building communities where everyone's dignity is respected - Disabled World (DW).

Author Credentials: Ian is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability-a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.