The Center for Teaching Excellence

There is debate in the disability community about whether person-first or identity-first language is more appropriate when describing someone with a disability (Callahan, 2018):

Person-first language emphasizes the human being before the disability to highlight that the disability does not define the person. For example, using person-first language, you might say “a person with a seeing impairment,” or “people with autism.”

Identity-first language is often preferred by younger members of the disability community, who feel that their disability is core to their identity. For example, using identity-first language, you may say “blind person” or “autistic person.”

While both are acceptable, if you’re unsure whether someone prefers person-first or identity-first language, ask them. If they express a preference, honor it when speaking to or about them.

An idiom is a widely-used phrase or group of words with a unique meaning not derived from its parts (e.g. She’s bitten off more than she can chew). It is worth noting that learners from a different culture or generation may not understand an idiom, making their potentially use problematic.

Additionally, many idioms have exclusionary roots, including:

• “Divide and conquer” is a phrase that has roots in violent and oppressive colonialism.
• “Grandfathered in” is a holdover phrase from the Jim Crow era, born from racist tactics used to exclude the Black vote after the passage of the 15th Amendment.
• “Take it like a man” is an exclusionary phrase, similar to “man up” or “grow a pair,” that implies male superiority.

Not sure about the history of an idiom you commonly use? Just Google it. Getting curious about the impact of your everyday speaking habits on others is essential to developing inclusive language skills.

People often describe common characteristics and moods using mental health language in a derogatory way that dilutes the importance of the words. For example, someone might refer to a co-worker who likes to keep a tidy office as “OCD”—in reference to the very real condition of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Or, a neurotypical person who momentarily loses their train of thought might off-handedly say, “I’m so ADD”—referring to attention deficit disorder.

Using careless language to describe your temporary mood or state trivializes the experience of people living with these mental health disorders.

Using genderless language for a group of people can help break down stereotypes and avoid alienating anyone. For example, instead of using the phrase “you guys” or “ladies and gentlemen” to refer to a group of people, try the more inclusive “folks” or “you all.”

Some other changes you can make to gendered everyday speech include:

• Use neutral terms for occupation titles like “flight attendant” instead of “stewardess,” “server” instead of “waitress,” or “police officer” instead of “policeman.”
• Ask about someone’s “child”, “sibling”, or spouse instead of using gender-specific language like son, sister, and wife.
• Refer to “humankind” instead of “mankind” or “they” instead of “he or she” to acknowledge the gender identity spectrum that exists in large groups.