List of disability-related terms with negative connotations
The following is a list of terms used to describe disabilities or people with disabilities, which may carry negative connotations or be offensive to people with or without disabilities.
Some people consider it best to use person-first language, for example "a person with a disability" rather than "a disabled person." However identity-first language, as in "autistic person" or "deaf person", is preferred by many people and organizations.
Language can influence individuals' perception of disabled people and disability.
For some terms, the grammar structure of their use determine if they are harmful. The person-first stance advocates for saying "people with disabilities" instead of "the disabled" or "a person who is deaf" instead of "a deaf person". However, some advocate against this, saying it reflects a medical model of disability whereas "disabled person" is more appropriate and reflects the social model of disability. On the other hand, there is also a grammar structure called identity-first language that construes disability as a function of social and political experiences occurring within a world designed largely for non-disabled people.