Being what is called in the HR community an "HR Professional", I rely heavily not only on my peers in the HR world, but also on sites and associations to help me in finding answers to legal questions and other safe guards to prevent and/or cure issues in the workplace.
One such website, which will remain unmentioned, consistantly provides updated articles and tools for HR professionals to use in their everyday workings. The following is an actual "tool" that was posted for the websites users to use to replace "harsh" terminology. I cannot emphasize enough that I have not altered or changed any content in this document.
Preferred Terminology Guide
The following terminology guide will help employers when communicating to avoid negative phrases that are offensive and use affirmative phrases to communicate effectively.
instead of retarded, mentally defective, use person with mental retardation
instead of the blind, use person who is blind, person who is visually impaired
instead of the disabled, handicapped, use person with a disability.
instead of suffers a hearing loss, the deaf, use person who is deaf, person who is hard of hearing
instead of afflicted by MS, use person who has multiple sclerosis
instead of CP victim, use person with cerebral palsy
instead of epileptic, use person with epilepsy, person with seizure disorder
instead of confined or restricted to a wheelchair, use person who uses a wheelchair
instead of stricken by MD, use person who has muscular dystrophy
instead of crippled, lame, deformed, use physically disabled
instead of normal person (implies that the person with a disability isn t normal), use person without a disability
The following terminology guide will help employers when communicating to avoid negative phrases that are offensive and use affirmative phrases to communicate effectively.
instead of retarded, mentally defective, use person with mental retardation
instead of the blind, use person who is blind, person who is visually impaired
instead of the disabled, handicapped, use person with a disability.
instead of suffers a hearing loss, the deaf, use person who is deaf, person who is hard of hearing
instead of afflicted by MS, use person who has multiple sclerosis
instead of CP victim, use person with cerebral palsy
instead of epileptic, use person with epilepsy, person with seizure disorder
instead of confined or restricted to a wheelchair, use person who uses a wheelchair
instead of stricken by MD, use person who has muscular dystrophy
instead of crippled, lame, deformed, use physically disabled
instead of normal person (implies that the person with a disability isn t normal), use person without a disability
instead of dumb, mute, use unable to speak, uses synthetic speech
instead of fit, use seizure
instead of has overcome a disability, courageous (when it implies the person has courage because of having a disability), use successful, productive
instead of crazy, nuts, use person with psychiatric disability
instead of fit, use seizure
instead of has overcome a disability, courageous (when it implies the person has courage because of having a disability), use successful, productive
instead of crazy, nuts, use person with psychiatric disability
instead of admits she has a disability use says she has a disability
Yeah. Someone got paid to write this.
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