The social model positions society as the disabling agent, rather than an individual’s impairment. Under the social model, an impairment is not automatically a disability. It is only a disability when society is not structured (physically, socially, or culturally) to include that impairment/variation. For example, in a society where glasses/corrective lenses are accessible and socially accepted, the impairment of having blurry vision without them is not necessarily disabling. The social model seeks to make changes in society, rather than focusing on disabled people to change.

Social Model of Disability

Some use person-first language in an attempt to emphasize one's personhood over their disability and equalize those with and without disabilities. However, others argue that person-first language is not used equally and does not acknowledge the important role that one's disability may play in shaping their identity.

Grinnell College

Pepperdine University

Wesleyan University

Arranging a sentence so as to put the noun referring to a person before the affliction, disease, or disability.
Example: saying "person with a disability" rather than "disabled person"

Person-First Language

Gernsbacher, M.A. (2017), Editorial Perspective: The use of person-first language in scholarly writing may accentuate stigma. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 58: 859-861. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12706

Editorial Perspective: The use of person-ﬁrst language in scholarly writing may accentuate stigma

American Psychological Association. (2021, August). Disability. APA Style. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/bias-free-language/disability

Disability APA Style

Person-first language aims to encourage people to seek treatment in regard to drug abuse by reducing the shame they feel.

- Ex: Jenny is a heroin addict vs. Jenny is someone who is addicted to heroin
- Ex: People who inject Drugs


Person-First Language and Drug Prevention

Controversy about the use of Person-First Language

Although proponents of person-first language often encourage its use for both individuals with and without disabilities, scholarly writings are substantially more likely to use person-first language when discussing individuals with disabilities than when discussing those without disabilities.

Use of person-first language for those with and without disabilities

A review of scholarly writings has shown that person-first language is more frequently used when discussing individuals with more stigmatized disabilities (e.g. developmental disabilities) than when discussing less stigmatized disabilities (e.g. physical disabilities).

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