As some of you may have noticed, I rarely use “identity first language” when I’m discussing people with disabilities in my articles. Out of respect for those with disabilities, I have been taught throughout my studies, that as a person who is able-bodied, the best way to refer to someone or a group of people with disabilities who you may not know is through “person first language”, for example, person with autism, people with disabilities, and so on, in order to promote their humanity and personhood before their disability. Nevertheless, it is not uncommon to see “identity first” language, such as, diabetic person, autistic individual, deaf people etc. throughout academia, scholarly works, or even within everyday life as people with disabilities have the freedom to identify and refer to themselves as they choose.
However, the topic of whether to use identity first or person first language when addressing those with disabilities, is a sensitive, but relevant conversation to have. Language can have an immense impact on a community, good and bad, especially in regards to the disability community, who has a complex history of misrepresentation, stigma, erasure, and overall misunderstanding. How we choose to identify and discuss people with disabilities, especially for those who are able-bodied, carries immense weight.
Tara Haelle, writer of the article “Identity-first vs. person-first language is an important distinction” provides a straightforward explanation of how today’s individuals with varying disabilities feel about identity versus person first language. Firstly, she explains the best terminology to best use when describing a person’s medical history or health condition: “Usually, with clear diseases like epilepsy and diabetes, it’s always best to use person-first language: men with diabetes, children with epilepsy” (Haelle, Identity-first vs. person-first language is an important distinction). Secondly, when it comes to mental disorders, “it’s usually best to use person-first: a man with schizophrenia (not schizophrenic) or woman with bipolar disorder (not a bipolar woman)”. However, with disabilities, such as autism or deafness, it is best to use identity first language. For example, whilst taking American Sign Language (ASL) this summer, I learned from my deaf professor, that most deaf people prefer identity-first language over person first and hate being referred to “hearing impaired”. He explained that it’s equivalent to calling someone who is Black, “white-impaired”, or someone who identifies with the LGBTIA+ community, “straight-impaired”. Lastly, autism proves to be a bit trickier because while some view autism as a disability, others claim it as part of their identity. For example, when an intern from the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), named Lydia Brown, attended a sub-committee meeting for the organization, she was receiving “Feedback from one of [the] members [who] suggested changing “ASD individual” in [their] report to “individual with ASD”...The Autistic self-advocate sitting beside me, who also has an Autistic brother, voiced her objection to use of the term. “I disagree,” she said as the suggestion was read aloud. “I’m not a person with autism; I am Autistic...Immediately, a mother sitting next to her responded, “I come from a time where that word, ‘autistic,’ had — still has — a negative meaning. It’s offensive. When someone refers to my son as ‘the autistic,’ I cringe at that word; I get ready to defend him” (Brown, Identity First Language).
As you can see, language is very complicated, especially within the autism community. Even as I write this piece, I find myself grappling between the language I’ve been taught to use and the language so many of those I encounter with autism or conduct research on personally prefer, which is identity first language because autism is an aspect of their identity that cannot change, similar to the color of someone’s skin; it isn’t an add on, it shapes their entire life.
I remember my Junior year in college, I took a course called “Autism and Neurodiversity” and one of our assignments was to interview a person with autism and simply get to know them; have a conversation with them. I was so anxious to meet them, I didn’t want to offend them or say the wrong thing. I brought a binder full of my notes from class and questions I planned to ask him, and when I met him, not once did I refer to it; I didn’t need to. We spent over two hours talking about everything from politics to movies to relationships. During the last few minutes of our conversation when I began to ask more pointed questions, such as How do you identify yourself? and How do you feel about person-first versus first person language?. He expressed that he had no preference; he didn’t care what people called him! He was more focused on developing a romantic relationship, transferring to a new college, and catching up on his reading than the politics of language. Speaking with him was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had to date and from it, I learned that while the education I was receiving as a Disability Minor was informative, it was merely a foundation for understanding the complex lives of those on the spectrum, and with disabilities in general.
I share my story to emphasize that when it comes to using identity first or person first language while conversing with someone with disabilities, instead of assuming how they identify, ask them and be open to adapting not only to the nuance within academia and said community, but most importantly the wishes of the individual.
*For those of you who are interested in learning more about the complexities of person first and identity first language in the autism community, specifically, please refer to the wonderful article written by Lydia Brown*
Space for Self-Reflection:
What type of language do you use when addressing people with disabilities?
Has your own personal opinion changed after reading this article?
If you have a loved one who has a disability or disorder, how do you indirectly feel when others address them using person first or identity first language?