Choose language that benefits everyone
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When writing about people with disabilities or about accessibility, be mindful
about using unintentionally biased language that may cause harm.
Write thoughtfully about disability
Don't use euphemisms or patronizing terms:
- Avoid describing people without disabilities as normal or healthy.
Better: nondisabled person, sighted person, hearing person, person
without disabilities, neurotypical person.
Avoid terms that reflect or project feelings and judgements about a
person's disability, such as victim of, suffering from, wheelchair-bound.
Better: experiencing, living with, uses a wheelchair
Person-first and identity-first language
When writing about accessibility and people with disabilities, be sure to
center the person or community, and avoid terms that remove personhood.
- Avoid language like the disabled
- Better: people with disabilities
Note: While person-first language is generally preferred (person with a
cognitive impairment, person with low vision), some people prefer identity-first
language; for example, this preference is common in Deaf and neurodivergent
communities (Deaf person, neurodivergent person).
Before writing about a community, take time to educate yourself about how the
community prefers to be identified and described. Some helpful resources include
the following:
- Write documentation for all: General guidelines and examples that
illustrate some best practices for writing documentation for everyone.
Next unit: Add accessible visuals to writing
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Last updated 2025-04-17 UTC.
[null,null,["Last updated 2025-04-17 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eWhen writing about people with disabilities, use language that respects their personhood and avoids unintentional bias.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eUse people-first language ("person with a disability") unless you know a specific community prefers identity-first language ("disabled person").\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eAvoid euphemisms, patronizing terms, and language that centers the disability instead of the person.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003ePrioritize respectful and accurate representation by researching community preferences for identification and description.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],["When discussing disability, prioritize respectful language. Avoid terms like \"normal\" or \"victim,\" instead using \"nondisabled\" or \"living with.\" Center the individual by saying \"people with disabilities\" rather than \"the disabled.\" While person-first language is often preferred, understand that some communities, like Deaf and neurodivergent individuals, prefer identity-first language. Research a community's preferences before writing about them, and refer to resources on inclusive documentation.\n"],null,["# Choose language that benefits everyone\n\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\nWhen writing about people with disabilities or about accessibility, be mindful\nabout using unintentionally biased language that may cause harm.\n\nWrite thoughtfully about disability\n-----------------------------------\n\nDon't use euphemisms or patronizing terms:\n\n- **Avoid** describing people without disabilities as *normal* or *healthy*.\n- **Better** : *nondisabled person, sighted person, hearing person, person\n without disabilities, neurotypical person*.\n\n- **Avoid** terms that reflect or project feelings and judgements about a\n person's disability, such as *victim of, suffering from, wheelchair-bound*.\n\n- **Better** : *experiencing, living with, uses a wheelchair*\n\nPerson-first and identity-first language\n----------------------------------------\n\nWhen writing about accessibility and people with disabilities, be sure to\ncenter the person or community, and avoid terms that remove personhood.\n\n- **Avoid** language like *the disabled*\n- **Better** : *people with disabilities*\n\n**Note**: While person-first language is generally preferred (person with a\ncognitive impairment, person with low vision), some people prefer identity-first\nlanguage; for example, this preference is common in Deaf and neurodivergent\ncommunities (Deaf person, neurodivergent person).\n\nBefore writing about a community, take time to educate yourself about how the\ncommunity prefers to be identified and described. Some helpful resources include\nthe following:\n\n- [Write documentation for all](https://developers.google.com/style/inclusive-documentation): General guidelines and examples that illustrate some best practices for writing documentation for everyone.\n\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\n**Next unit:** [Add accessible visuals to writing](/tech-writing/accessibility/self-study/visual-cues)"]]
