The extent to why people may use identity-first language may be related to their stage of disability development. It also may depend if they were born with their disability, if it was acquired later on in life, or the person's specific disability.

Predicting a person's preference for identity-first or person-first language in specific contexts is premature due to lacking empirical research.

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~ 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

Dunn, D. S., & Andrews, E. E. (2015). Person-First and Identity-First Language: Developing Psychologists’ Cultural Competence Using Disability Language. American Psychologist, 70(3), 255–264. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038636

Person-First and Identity-First Language: Developing Psychologists' Cultural Competence Using Disability Language.

The Extent for the Usage of Identity-First Language

Identity-first language is often used by communities, for example the Deaf and autistic communities, who believe that identity-defining features cannot be separated from the individual. This is pertinent in languages such as English where adjectives typically precede nouns, e.g. "talented child" instead of "a child with talent."  

Some believe differentiating the language we use for disability from language we use for other adjectives may perpetuate stigma rather than mitigate it. 

Identity-first language is also prompted by individuals who believe that their disabled embodiment is essential to and should not be separated from them or their humanity. This usage also can signal how some disabled individuals view disability as an integral part of their cultural identity.

Some scholars have noted how person-first language is used to refer to children with disabilities but not often used for nondisabled children, this creates a separation with person-first language being used to discuss disability but identity-first language is used to discuss other identity neutral or positive attributes.

Some view the use of identity-first language as a way to highlight disability as an identity  category since identity-first language is used for other categories including race, gender, and sexual orientation.

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