Disability Etiquette

Reporting and Writing About People with Disabilities

The following guidelines are suggestions for using language in a more sensitive manner that avoids reducing individuals to a series of labels, symptoms, or medical terms. Advocating for media representatives to be aware of how they use language regarding individuals with disabilities and their families does not suppress freedom of speech. Rather, these suggestions are intended to guide media representatives about how words really do make a difference.

Read the guidelines here.

Words Matter

The following list depicts phrases and terms that are generally considered appropriate, as well as terms and phrases to avoid using. Please keep in mind that language is constantly evolving and not everyone has the same preference, so the best guideline when referring to people is to ASK.

Read Words Matter here.

Commonly Used Acronyms

The following list of acronyms are commonly used on NDRN's website and on our publications.

Read the list of acronyms here.