Guidance for Inclusive Marketing
Terminology and Tone
Making content more accessible isn't just about its presentation; it can be about the content itself.
Use language that reinforces equality
Good example
"In our sports club, disabled and non-disabled people are actively encouraged to join in."
Bad example
"In our sports club, able-bodied people love seeing the disabled join in around their club."
In the good example, both disabled and non-disabled participants are treated with parity. The message is positive, and neither of the demographics referred to is given preference.
In our bad example, the intention of the sentence is positive; to say that disabled people are actively included in the club, but has been conveyed in a demeaning manner. It positions the disabled participants in question as being less-than, or even a novelty. It should also be noted that "non-disabled" is preferred over "able-bodied", but we'll expand on that imminently.
Use of appropriate language
Certain language can be offensive when speaking to or referring disabled people.
Considered preferred language:
Disabled Person
Disabled Athlete
Person with a disability
Athlete with a disability
Wheelchair user
Physical Disability
Impairment
Visually impaired
Partially sighted
Mental health
Intellectual impairment
Learning disability
Hard of Hearing
Dwarf
Autistic person / Person on the autism spectrum
Non-disabled
Use carefully:
Blind
Deaf
Words and terms to avoid:
Deaf and dumb
Mute
Retard / Retarded
Handicapped
Invalid
Cripple
Suffers from...
Spastic
Wheelchair bound
Normal
Able-bodied
Table: Tips to replace negative, offensive or inaccurate terminology
| Term(s) | Use instead |
|---|---|
| Deaf and Dumb Mute |
Disabled person or perhaps: Speech and language difficulty |
| Retard Retarded |
Disabled person or perhaps: Learning disability Person with a learning disability |
| Handicapped Invalid Cripple |
Disabled person or if appropriate: Wheelchair User Physical disability |
| Wheelchair bound |
Wheelchair user "Bound" adds unnecessary emotional context, and implies a lower quality of life. |
| Normal |
Non-disabled It is unfair to consider disabled people to not be "normal" |
| Able-bodied |
Non-disabled There are plenty of disabled people who are "able-bodied". |
|
Referring to a person, it is incredibly offensive and derogatory. When referring in a medical context to muscular spasticity, its use may be appropriate. If you're at all unsure if you're using it correctly, just don't use it. |
Disabled person |
| Suffers from... |
If there is a need to identify or discuss an individual’s disability, then avoid negative phrasing.
|
|
|
If not appropriate, use: Partially sighted Visual impairment |
|
|
If not appropriate, use: Hard of hearing Hearing impairment |
If you're interested in booking places on a Guidance for Inclusive Marketing Workshop, please contact Disability Sport Wales' Insight and Learning Senior Officer, Dr. Rachael Newport (contact details below)
Please speak to me in English
Please refer to me as: She / Her
Please refer to me as: She / Her
