From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

List of disability-related terms with negative connotations

None

The following is a list of terms used to describe disabilities or people with disabilities, which may carry negative connotations or be offensive to people with or without disabilities.

Some people consider it best to use person-first language, for example "a person with a disability" rather than "a disabled person." However identity-first language, as in "autistic person" or "deaf person", is preferred by many people and organizations.

Language can influence individuals' perception of disabled people and disability.

For some terms, the grammar structure of their use determine if they are harmful. The person-first stance advocates for saying "people with disabilities" instead of "the disabled" or "a person who is deaf" instead of "a deaf person". However, some advocate against this, saying it reflects a medical model of disability whereas "disabled person" is more appropriate and reflects the social model of disability. On the other hand, there is also a grammar structure called identity-first language that construes disability as a function of social and political experiences occurring within a world designed largely for non-disabled people.

A

Term	Notes	References
A few sandwiches short of a picnic	Used of people perceived as having reduced or limited mental faculties. Numerous derivatives with no known original (e.g. "a few books short of a library").
Able-bodied	There may be an implied value judgement comparing a person with a disability versus one without	date=12 September 2015	title=Terms to Avoid When Writing About Disability	url=https://ncdj.org/2015/09/terms-to-avoid-when-writing-about-disability/	access-date=2020-06-09	website=National Center on Disability and Journalism	language=en-US}}
Abnormal		title=Words with Dignity	url=http://3mc3pu3a8r0y2tbwjl479nd0.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/2015_03_19_wwd_updated_FINAL.pdf	url-status=dead	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160418181310/http://3mc3pu3a8r0y2tbwjl479nd0.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/2015_03_19_wwd_updated_FINAL.pdf	archive-date=2016-04-18	access-date=27 August 2020	website=Paraquad}}
Addict		last=Kanigel	first=Rachele	url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KZlxDwAAQBAJ	title=The Diversity Style Guide	date=2019-01-14	publisher=John Wiley & Sons	isbn=978-1-119-05507-5	pages=242–243	language=en	via=Google Books}}
Afflicted
Attention-seeking	Used of people who are suffering emotionally	last=Mollon	first=Anna	title=The Disability Drive	date=2015	type=PhD dissertation	publisher=University of California, Berkeley	url=https://escholarship.org/content/qt0bb4c3bv/qt0bb4c3bv.pdf	language=en}}
Acoustic	An intentional malformation of autistic, used as a synonym in pejorative contexts
Autistic	Or autism, when used as an insult	last=Kent	first=Tamsyn	date=6 November 2009	title=Has 'autism' become a term of abuse?	url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8345282.stm	url-status=dead	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150815163616/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8345282.stm	archive-date=2015-08-15	access-date=30 September 2015	work=BBC News}}

B

Term	Notes	References
Batty		last=Brown	first=Lydia X.Z.	title=Ableist words and terms to avoid	url=https://drc.arizona.edu/sites/drc.arizona.edu/files/documents/Ableist_Terms_To_Avoid.pdf	url-status=dead	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210113094856/https://drc.arizona.edu/sites/drc.arizona.edu/files/documents/Ableist_Terms_To_Avoid.pdf	archive-date=2021-01-13	website=Disability Resource Center University of Arizona}}
Birth defect
Blind	Especially when used metaphorically (e.g., "blind to criticism") or preceded by "the", although "the blind" is considered acceptable by many blind people and organizations such as the National Federation of the Blind.	title=ENC1101 First-year Composition – Guidelines for Avoiding Ableist Language	url=http://faculty.mdc.edu/dmcguirk/ENC1101/ENC1101guidelinesforavoidingableistlanguage.htm	url-status=dead	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110916052857/http://faculty.mdc.edu/dmcguirk/ENC1101/ENC1101guidelinesforavoidingableistlanguage.htm	archive-date=16 September 2011	access-date=24 January 2014}}
Bonkers
Brain damaged

C

Term	Notes	References
Challenged		date=2016-01-21	title=Guidelines: How to Write about People with Disabilities (9th edition)	url=http://rtcil.org/products/media/guidelines	url-status=live	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810123437/http://rtcil.org/products/media/guidelines	archive-date=2020-08-10	access-date=2020-08-28	website=Research & Training Center on Independent Living	publisher=University of Kansas	language=en}}
Crazy		date=11 November 2009	title=The Transcontinental Disability Choir: What is Ableist Language and Why Should You Care?	url=http://bitchmagazine.org/post/the-transcontinental-disability-choir-what-is-ableist-language-and-why-should-you-care	url-status=dead	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014180600/http://bitchmagazine.org/post/the-transcontinental-disability-choir-what-is-ableist-language-and-why-should-you-care	archive-date=2013-10-14	access-date=24 January 2014}}
Crazy cat lady	Used of mentally ill and neurotic women, particularly single women and spinsters who hoard cats.	last=Brown	first=Lydia	date=16 June 2013	title=Ableist Language	url=http://www.autistichoya.com/p/ableist-words-and-terms-to-avoid.html	access-date=28 September 2013}}
Cretin
Cripple	"A person with a physical or mobility impairment". Its shortened form ("crip") has been reclaimed by some people with disabilities as a positive identity.	last=Clare	first=Eli	title=Thinking about the word crip	url=http://eliclare.com/poems/thinking-about-the-word-crip	access-date=18 January 2014}}
Confined to a wheelchair	May imply helplessness, and that someone is to be pitied.

D

Term	Notes	References
Daft	People considered nonsensical or feckless
Deaf and dumb or Deaf-mute
Deaf to X
Defective	Or other uses of "defect"
Deformed
Delusional		last=Steele	first=David	date=6 September 2012	title=Crazy talk: The language of mental illness stigma	url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/brain-flapping/2012/sep/06/crazy-talk-language-mental-illness-stigma	access-date=19 September 2016	work=The Guardian}}
Demented	People with dementia
Deranged or mentally deranged
Derp	Considered by some to refer to people with intellectual disabilities
Differently abled
Dim or dim-witted
DALYs/DFLYs/QALYs: Disability or Quality Adjusted (or Free) Life Years	Might suggest that a nondisabled person's life years are worth more than a disabled person's
The Disabled or Disabled people	"person with a disability"]] or "people with health conditions or impairments". However, many people prefer "disabled person" or "disabled people", in part due to the social model of disability.
Disorder
Dotard
Downie	Used of people with Down Syndrome. A Dutch profanity sometimes appearing in English as "downy" and generally considered derogatory
Dumb	Especially when preceded by "the"
Dummy and dumb	Used of people with mental disabilities, or more generally people perceived as stupid or ignorant. Once used to describe people incapable of speaking, suggestive of an insulting mannequin-like or ventriloquist's dummy-like appearance.
Dwarf

E

Term	Notes	References
Epileptic		title=Accessibility & Disability Etiquette – Accessibility	url=https://accessibility.unca.edu/accessibility-disability-etiquette	website=accessibility.unca.edu	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305202432/https://accessibility.unca.edu/accessibility-disability-etiquette	archive-date=5 March 2016	url-status=dead}}

F

Term	Notes	References
Feeble-minded or Feeb
Fit	In reference to an epileptic seizure
Flid	People with phocomelia from birth mother's use of thalidomide
Freak		last=Quackenbush	first=Nicole	title=Bodies in Culture, Culture in Bodies: Disability Narratives and a Rhetoric of Resistance	publisher=ProQuest LLC	year=2008	location=Ann Arbor, MI	pages=118–127}}

G

Term	Notes	References
Gimp or gimpy	A limp or a person with a limp

H

Term	Notes	References
Handicapped	Especially when preceded by "the" or "physically"
Handicapable
Hare lip
Hearing-impaired
Homebound
Hunchback, or "humpback"	Especially when referring to people with scoliosis or kyphosis. Generated controversy after the 1990s release of The Hunchback of Notre Dame (see Quasimodo below).
Hyper
Hyper-sensitive		last=National Youth Leadership Network	title=Respectful Disability Language: Here's What's Up!	url=http://www.aucd.org/docs/add/sa_summits/Language%20Doc.pdf	access-date=28 October 2020	website=Association of University Centers on Disabilities.}}
Hysterical	Typically used in reference to women

I

Term	Notes	References
Imbecile	Was originally the diagnostic term used for people with IQ scores between 30 and 50 when the IQ test was first developed in the early 1900s. It is no longer used professionally. Before the IQ test was developed in 1905, "imbecile" was also commonly used as a casual insult towards anyone perceived as incompetent at doing something.	last=Rapley	first=Mark	title=The Social Construction of Intellectual Disability	page=32	year=2004	url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KdQS5Z_mGbQC	publisher=Cambridge University Press	isbn=978-0-521-00529-6}}.
Incapacitated
Idiot	Was originally the diagnostic term used for people with IQ scores under 30 when the IQ test was first developed in the early 1900s. It is also no longer used professionally. Before the IQ test was developed in 1905, "idiot" was also commonly used as a casual insult towards anyone perceived as incompetent at doing something.
Illiterate	Some now consider the term imprecise and blaming the person for something caused by the condition of the educational system.	last1=Gerhardt	first1=Ryan	title=Words to Avoid—2023 Edition	url=https://bigduck.com/insights/words-to-avoid-2023-edition/	access-date=10 May 2024	website=Big Duck}}
Inmate	When referring to a psychiatric admission
Insane
Inspirational or inspiring	When used about somebody doing a ordinary activity, a phenomenon of spectacle known as "inspiration porn" that is based on pity; not to be confused with public activities of mass spectacle such as Special Olympics or Paralympics, which celebrate talent without pity or mockery.
Invalid

J

Term	Notes	References
Junkie

L

Term	Notes	References
Lame	In reference to difficulty walking or moving. The term has since been adopted into slang to generally refer to something or someone as "meaningless" or "without worth", e.g. "He told us a lame excuse for why he had not done the work."
Losing one's mind
Losing / Lost one's marbles
LPC: Likely to become a public charge
Lunatic or looney

M

Term	Notes	References
Mad, madman, madwoman	Some individuals with mental illness tend to use this term to change the negative stigma surrounding it (see Mad Pride)	author=Gabrielle Glaser	date=May 11, 2008	title='Mad Pride' Fights a Stigma	url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/11/fashion/11madpride.html	access-date=March 26, 2024	work=The New York Times}}
Mad as a hatter or Mad hatter	Derogatory term (referring to a mentally ill person or a person with brain damage and dementia caused by heavy metal poisoning) popularized especially due to the fictional character of the same name
Maniac
Mental, mentally deficient, mental case or mentally ill
Midget
Mong, Mongol, Mongoloid, or Mongolism	Used of people with Down syndrome	last=Kenber	first=Billy	title=Ricky Gervais: I was wrong about 'mong'	url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/ricky-gervais-i-was-wrong-about-mong-hqd96pnqkmg	access-date=2020-07-19	newspaper=The Times	language=en	issn=0140-0460}}
Moron, moronic
Munchkin	See "Midget" above. A term derived from the 1930s feature film The Wizard of Oz which had a cast of Little Persons.
Mute
Mutant	referring to someone with an uncommon genetic mutation

N

Term	Notes	References
Narc, narcissist		last=Wilding	first=((Melody (contributor)))	date=November 2018	title=I'm a professor of human behavior, and I have some news for you about the 'narcissists' in your life	url=https://www.businessinsider.com/narcissism-vs-narcissist-2018-11	access-date=2020-06-10	website=Business Insider}}
Neurospicy
Not the brightest bulb / Not the sharpest tool in the shed	Mentally disabled derogatory term
Nut, nuts, or nutter, nuthouse, etc.

O

Term	Notes	References
Out to lunch	Mentally disabled derogatory term

P

Term	Notes	References
Patient
Paraplegic
Psycho(tic)
Psychopath	A dated term used for a person with a mental illness	last=Gratton	first=Korina	date=4 December 2019	title=LibGuides: Ableism: Ableist Language	url=https://libguides.ufv.ca/c.php?g=705905&p=5022576	access-date=2020-06-10	website=libguides.ufv.ca	language=en}}

Q

Term	Notes	References
Quasimodo	Translates to "half-formed" or more commonly "deformed", and made infamous by the fictional character Quasimodo, a deformed man with kyphosis who later appeared in a popular Disney film in the 1990s (see Hunchback above)

R

Term	Notes	References
Retard/Retarded	Before the 1990s this was considered acceptable by most non-disabled people and organizations. Also known as "the r-word".
Restarted	Algospeak for "retarded".

S

Term	Notes	References
Scatterbrained		last=Wedge	first=Marilyn	title=What to do when your Child is Scatterbrained	url=http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/suffer-the-children/201410/what-do-when-your-child-is-scatterbrained	access-date=2020-09-05	website=Psychology Today	language=en-US}}
Schizo	Especially as an adjective, meaning "erratic" or "unpredictable" or, for the former two, to refer to an individual
Schizophrenic	When referring to an individual
(has a) Screw loose	British slang term that originally meant eccentric, neurotic or slightly mentally ill; generally considered offensive to mentally ill people
Senile
Slow
Sluggish
Sociopath
Spastic/Spaz	Especially in the UK and Ireland. Previously referred to muscle spasticity or a person with cerebral palsy, which may involve muscle spasms. Also used to insult someone uncoordinated or making jerking movements.
Special
Special needs
SPED	An acronym of "special ed" (short for "special education")
Stone deaf		title=tone-deaf - Cambridge Dictionary	url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/tone-deaf	access-date=	website=dictionary.cambridge.org}}
Stricken
Stupid
Subnormal
Supercrip
Sufferer		title=Disability	url=https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/bias-free-language/disability	access-date=2022-05-21	website=apastyle.apa.org	language=en}}

T

Term	Notes	References
Tard	Short for "retard"; see retard above.
Thick
Tone deaf

U

Term	Notes	References
Unclean
Unfortunate
Unhinged

V

Term	References
Victim of an ailment
Vegetable
Vegetative state	author=Kondziella D, Cheung MC, Dutta A	year=2019	title=Public perception of the vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome: a crowdsourced study.	journal=PeerJ	volume=7	issue=	article-number=e6575	doi=10.7717/peerj.6575	pmc=6408911	pmid=30863687	doi-access=free}}

W

Term	Notes	References
Wacko
Wheelchair bound	Preferred use by some is "person who uses a wheelchair"
Window licker		author=Ipsos MORI	author-link=Ipsos MORI	date=September 2016	title=Attitudes to potentially offensive language and gestures on TV and radio	url=https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/publication/1970-01/connect-ofcom-offensive-language-2016.pdf	access-date=3 November 2017}}

Y

Term	Notes	References
Yuppie flu	Used as a pejorative term for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). This originated from the media stereotype of people with CFS as ambitious, young, and affluent ("yuppies"), rather than having a genuine illness.

References

(2018). "Inclusive language: words to use and avoid when writing about disability".
Haller, Beth. (7 January 2016). "Journalists should learn to carefully traverse a variety of disability terminology {{!}} National Center on Disability and Journalism".
(2019). "#SaytheWord: A Disability Culture Commentary on the Erasure of "Disability"". [[Rehabilitation Psychology (journal).
Vaughan, C. Edwin. (March 2009). "People-First Language: An Unholy Crusade".
Folkins, John. (December 1992). "Resource on Person-First Language – The Language Used to Describe Individuals With Disabilities". [[American Speech–Language–Hearing Association]].
(2008). "Disability Etiquette – Tips On Interacting With People With Disabilities". [[United Spinal Association]].
Egan, Lisa. (9 November 2012). "I'm Not A "Person With a Disability": I'm a Disabled Person". [[XoJane]].
(2015). "Person-first and identity-first language: Developing psychologists' cultural competence using disability language.". American Psychologist.
(12 September 2015). "Terms to Avoid When Writing About Disability".
"Words with Dignity".
Kanigel, Rachele. (2019-01-14). "The Diversity Style Guide". John Wiley & Sons.
Mollon, Anna. (2015). "The Disability Drive". University of California, Berkeley.
(2023-11-06). "TikTok faces heat over 'acoustic'. Know the meaning". The Economic Times.
Sung, Kat. (2024-06-01). "How Mental Health Language Loses Meaning On Social Media".
Kent, Tamsyn. (6 November 2009). "Has 'autism' become a term of abuse?". [[BBC News]].
Brown, Lydia X.Z.. "Ableist words and terms to avoid".
"ENC1101 First-year Composition – Guidelines for Avoiding Ableist Language".
"Advice for Staff – Disability Etiquette – Appropriate Language and Behaviour". Heriot-Watt University.
Jernigan, Kenneth. (March 2009). "The Pitfalls of Political Correctness: Euphemisms Excoriated". National Federation of the Blind.
Hallowell, Brooke. (2016-02-15). "Aphasia and Other Acquired Neurogenic Language Disorders: A Guide for Clinical Excellence". Plural Publishing.
(2016-01-21). "Guidelines: How to Write about People with Disabilities (9th edition)". University of Kansas.
(11 November 2009). "The Transcontinental Disability Choir: What is Ableist Language and Why Should You Care?".
Gossett, Jennifer. (31 January 2012). "Ableism and Language". Oregon State University.
Brown, Lydia. (16 June 2013). "Ableist Language".
Clare, Eli. "Thinking about the word crip".
Steele, David. (6 September 2012). "Crazy talk: The language of mental illness stigma". The Guardian.
Lyttkens, C. Hampus. (2003). "Time to Disable DALYs? On the Use of Disability-Adjusted Life Years in Health Policy". The European Journal of Health Economics.
Brown, Lydia. (2 March 2012). "Identity First Language".
Haller, Beth. "Journalists should learn to carefully traverse a variety of disability terminology".
Sinclair, Jim. "Why I dislike Person First language".
Escalante, Alison. "Researchers Doubt That Certain Mental Disorders Are Disorders At All".
Bryan, Chloe. (September 22, 2017). "What is a 'dotard,' anyway?".
"No-Go". Touchdown 21.
"dummy". Merriam-Webster.
"dummy". Cambridge Dictionary.
"Accessibility & Disability Etiquette – Accessibility".
(26 June 2015). "Flid". Routledge.
Quackenbush, Nicole. (2008). "Bodies in Culture, Culture in Bodies: Disability Narratives and a Rhetoric of Resistance". ProQuest LLC.
"Community and Culture – Frequently Asked Questions".
"Disability Terminology Chart".
"humpback noun". Merriam-Webster.
Knight-Ridder, Kathi Wolfe. (3 July 1996). "Another Burden For The Disabled". The Spokesman Review.
(28 June 2002). "Quasimodo: Hunchback No More". CBS News.
"Hunchback". The Free Dictionary by Farlex.
National Youth Leadership Network. "Respectful Disability Language: Here's What's Up!".
Cowley, Gina. "Female Hysteria". BellaOnline.
Rapley, Mark. (2004). "The Social Construction of Intellectual Disability". Cambridge University Press.
(2003). "Correct Choice of Words' : English Grammar Series for Filipino Lawyers". Rex Bookstore, Inc..
"Words to Avoid—2023 Edition".
(2016-11-10). "Disability and Social Media: Global Perspectives". Taylor & Francis.
Baynton, Douglas C.. (2005). "Defectives in the Land: Disability and American Immigration Policy, 1882-1924". Journal of American Ethnic History.
Larson, Remi. (26 October 2016). ""Mad Hatter" Perpetuates Stigma around Mental Illness". Active Minds.
Kenber, Billy. "Ricky Gervais: I was wrong about 'mong'". [[The Times]].
Matthews, Robert Guy. (16 February 1999). "Munchkin stereotype a big issue; Image: The little people point out that caricatures have largely disappeared from popular culture, but not for them.". The Baltimore Sun.
Hargrave, Matt. (2015-06-23). "Theatres of Learning Disability: Good, Bad, or Plain Ugly?". Springer.
Wilding, ((Melody (contributor))). (November 2018). "I'm a professor of human behavior, and I have some news for you about the 'narcissists' in your life".
(6 January 2025). "The Impact of 'Neurospicy' on Neurodivergent Communities".
Annear, Katharine. (2024-11-14). "Is it OK to use the term 'neurospicy' when talking about autism and other neurodivergences?".
"Ask the Editor Out to lunch". The Britannica Dictionary.
"out to lunch phrase". Merriam-Webster.
Gratton, Korina. (4 December 2019). "LibGuides: Ableism: Ableist Language".
Hodges, Rick. "The Rise and Fall of "Mentally Retarded" – Member Feature Stories".
Andrews, Erin E.. (2019-11-01). "Disability as Diversity: Developing Cultural Competence". Oxford University Press.
Wedge, Marilyn. "What to do when your Child is Scatterbrained".
(2001). "Politically Correct Labels and Schizophrenia: A Rose by Any Other Name?". Schizophrenia Bulletin.
(10 October 2011). "OCD, bipolar, schizophrenic and the misuse of mental health terms". [[BBC News]].
"Dictionary.com - Schizoid".
"The Free Dictionary - Schizo".
"Definition of 'have a screw loose'". Collins Dictionary.
"have a screw loose". Cambridge Dictionary.
"Guidelines for Writing About People With Disabilities {{!}} ADA National Network".
Cokley, Rebecca. (2020-03-01). "Why "Special Needs" is Not Helpful".
"Disability Language Style Guide {{!}} National Center on Disability and Journalism".
"tone-deaf - Cambridge Dictionary".
Ravishankar, Rakshitha Arni. (15 December 2020). "Why You Need to Stop Using These Words and Phrases". Harvard Business School Publishing.
National Union of Journalists (UK). "Hacked Off".
"Disability".
"Reference.com - Tard".
Writing about Disabled People Guidelines for journalists from GLAD (Greater London Action on Disability) http://www.mediawise.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Writing_about_disabled_people.pdf, Accessed 27 August 2020
Rose, Damon. (2019-04-28). "Stop trying to 'heal' me". BBC News.
"unhinged adjective". Merriam-Webster.
"the definition of vegetable".
Kondziella D, Cheung MC, Dutta A. (2019). "Public perception of the vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome: a crowdsourced study.". PeerJ.
(August 2021). "Disability Language Style Guide".
Ipsos MORI. (September 2016). "Attitudes to potentially offensive language and gestures on TV and radio".
Smith, Noel 'Razor'. (2015). "The Criminal Alphabet: An A-Z of Prison Slang". Penguin UK.
Barrett, Deborah. (2004). "Emerging Illnesses and Society: Negotiating the Public Health Agenda". Johns Hopkins University Press.

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

disability-related-lists lists-of-pejorative-terms-for-people pejorative-terms-for-people-with-disabilities

Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about List of disability-related terms with negative connotations — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report