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

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.

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).

Use of person-first language for more stigmatized disabilities

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"

Pepperdine University

Ohio State University, Columbus

Georgetown University

- Person First Language
- Opioid Agonist Therapy
- Syringe Services Programs 

Forms of Harm Reduction

The language and terminology that those within a certain disability group generally prefer. For example, many Deaf individuals prefer to be called "Deaf" or "hard of hearing" rather than "hearing impaired" or "a person who is deaf"

Disability Language

The medical model promotes the image of people with disabilities as needing health care or as “sick”. While many people with disabilities do have a predisposition for certain medical conditions, this does not mean they are always sick. Many people with the philosophy of the medical model underestimate the human capacity to learn about the complexities of the human body, and thus to make safe decisions about one’s disability.


Medical model of demeaning disability-friendly terminology

Werb D;Garfein R;Kerr T;Davidson P;Roux P;Jauffret-Roustide M;Auriacombe M;Small W;Strathdee SA; “A Socio-Structural Approach to Preventing Injection Drug Use Initiation: Rationale for the PRIMER Study.” Harm Reduction Journal, U.S. National Library of Medicine, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27629248/. 

A Socio-Structural Approach to Preventing Injection Drug Use Initiation: Rationale for the PRIMER Study 

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

- OAT: -Super Effective and Cheap, Give Opiod Agonist to help with withdrawal

OAT: Opioid Agonist Therapy

- Exchanging used syringes for clean syringes 
- Other Activities may be performed at these locations but this is their primary objective
- Other names: Syringe Services Programs (SSPs), Needle Exchange Programs (NEPs)

Syringe Exchange Programs Definitions

Person-First Language

Identity-first language refers to when a person's disability identity is placed prior to a noun referring to their personhood in a sentence.

Example: Saying "disabled person" rather than "a person with a disability"

Identity-First Language

This law changed the language that referred to people with disabilities in multiple pieces of federal legislation to reflect more inclusive terminology. 

Rosas Law (Pub. L. 111-256)

People that view disability from an educational perspective often see people with disabilities as needing assistance to become more like the rest of “us”. The problem with this view is that it promotes low expectations of people with disabilities, and assumes unequal relationships.This philosophy also assumes successful people with disabilities are heroic , inspirational, role-models, and/or courageous. 

Educational model of demeaning disability-friendly terminology

* Out-dated langage: Dumb, Invalid 


* Respectful language: Blind/Visually Impaired, Person who is blind/visually impaired 

Appropriate Terms for Blind or Visually Impairment 

* Out-dated langage: Invalid, Deaf-and-Dumb, Deaf-Mute


* Respectful language: Deaf or Hard-of-hearing, Person who is deaf or hard of hearing 


Appropriate Terms for Deaf or Hearing Impairment 

* Out-dated langage: Dumb, “One who talks bad"


* Respectful language: Person with a speech / communication disability

Appropriate Terms for Speech/Communication Disability

* Out-dated langage: Retarded, Slow, BrainDamaged, “Special ed” 


* Respectful language:  Person with a learning or cognitive disability

Appropriate Terms for Learning Disability 

* Out-dated langage: Hyper-sensitive, Psycho, Crazy, Insane, Wacko, Nuts

* Respectful language: Person with a psychiatric disability, Person with a mental health disability

Appropriate Terms for Mental Health Disability 

* Out-dated langage: Handicapped, Physically Challenged, “Special,” Deformed, Cripple, Gimp, Spastic, Spaz, Wheelchairbound, Lame


* Respectful language: Wheelchair user, Person with a mobility or physical disability 



Appropriate Terms for Mobility/Physical Disability

* Out-dated langage:  Retard, Mentally retarded, “Special ed”


* Respectful language: Person with a cognitive/developmental disability

Appropriate Terms for Cognitive Disability

* Out-dated langage:  Dwarf, Midget 


* Respectful language: Someone of short stature

Appropriate Terms for Short Stature, Dwarfism

 * Out-dated langage: Victim, Someone “stricken with” a disability (i.e. “someone stricken with cancer” or “an AIDS victim”


* Respectful language: Survivor, Someone “living with” a specific disability (i.e.
“someone living with cancer or AIDS”) 

Appropriate Terms for Medical Disabilities/Health Conditions

Psychologists are obligated to develop and maintain competency levels of disability land its language usage as well as those impacted by it.

Role of Psychologists in using disability language

~ The person is always put before the disability (Ex: Person WITH a disability)
~ Groups are individualized (Ex: People with disabilities)
~ Advocated to be used by the APA
~Highly Prevalent in academic and professional settings within the United States

Person First Language

~ Disability or a particular disability is the main focus.
~ Promoted by activists and authors.
~ Linked to disability culture.
~ APA recommends using identity-first language to both characterize disability and in reference to those with disabilities.


Identity First Language

In a survey of 728 autistic individuals/individuals with autism and autistic community stakeholders (allistics including: parents, family members, friends, professionals, and those with no interaction with autistic individuals) it was found autistic adults preferred to self-identify with identity first-language with 87% of surveyed autistic adults preferring identityfirst language. Whereas, professionals, allistic friends, allistic non-parent family members, and individuals with no connection to an autistic individual preferred to use person-first language for autistic individuals/individuals with autism.

However since a significant minority of individuals with autism preferred person first language  (13%) it is still suggestedpeople ask what an individuals preference is. 

Person First and Identity First Language for Autistic Individuals/Individuals with Autism

Language choices carry social, cognitive, and emotional weight. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis (2005) explains how language affects perception, with social context and cognition influencing each other. This theoretical foundation is essential because the perception and attitudes toward disabled people are directly influenced by terminology, often through stigmatizing language and objectifying labels.

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