Guidelines: How to Write and Report About People with Disabilities
“Writers, editors, reporters and other communicators strive to use the most accurate terminology about people with disabilities. However, inaccurate, archaic and offensive expressions are still commonly used, perpetuating negative stereotypes and beliefs about people with disabilities.” First published in 1984, Guidelines: How to Write and Report About People with Disabilities (PDF), has become the standard for using first-person language when writing or reporting about people with disabilities. Now in its eighth edition, it presents the latest terminology preferred by people with disabilities and reflects input from more than 100 national disability groups. The 9-page brochure is produced by the Research and Training Center on Independent Living at the University of Kansas.
The Associated Press Stylebook, the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th edition) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science have all adopted some of the recommendations from previous editions of the Guidelines.
The first edition of Guidelines was produced with funding from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. Since then, more than one million copies have been distributed, and the electronic version is now used by people around the world.