List of disability-related terms with negative connotations

From Freepedia

The following is a list of terms which have been in use in recent history to describe disabled people or their disabilities, but which are regarded as offensive or inappropriate by disabled and non-disabled people. Levels of acceptance of the terms below vary with geography, and have varied over time; in addition attitudes to this issue vary from person to person. It should be noted that some disabled people are choosing to reclaim certain offensive terms, using them to describe themselves, with high-impact effect. However, it should be assumed that all terms listed here are unacceptable to disabled people, unless informed otherwise by the individual in question!


  • "Maniac" generally used disparagingly to describe non-disabled people, with no regard to the actual lived reality of folks with manic-depression or other diagnoses bestowed by the medical industrial complex.
  • "Schizo" or "Schizoid" used to describe people that have been labelled by the medical industrial complex as "schizophrenic," also used to insult supposedly non-disabled people who act in "unacceptable" or "unpredictable" ways
  • Cripple used as a general term for a physically disabled person. In its shortened form 'crip', often used by impish disabled people as a term of endearment. See also the essay 'on being a cripple' by Nancy Mairs
  • Handicapped or "Handicapper" used as a general term for a disabled person, and Handicap as a generic term for a disability.
  • Joey used as a derogatory term for someone with Cerebral Palsy (see Joey Deacon)
  • Mentally retarded used to describe someone with a learning disability, a significantly low IQ, and/or developmental disability (and Mental retardation to describe their disability)
  • Midget
  • Mongol or mongoloid for someone with Down's syndrome
  • Retard or Retarded used to describe someone with a learning disability (and retardation to describe their disability) - Now used as a common insult by members of the public with insufficient understanding of the condition or its meaning of both sufferers and average people.
  • Slow or Slow learner used to describe someone with a learning disability
  • Spastic, referring to someone with Cerebral Palsy (shortened/altered forms such as Spaz, Spazzy, Spack or Spackhead are regarded as particularly offensive by many, especially with the incorrect derrogatory use of these terms to describe any people who react differently from others to external stimuli)
  • The Disabled, The Blind etc. are objected to by many; "disabled people", "blind people" are considered slightly better; "people with disabilities", "people who are blind" are preferred instead. On the other hand, some use "The Blind" in a manner similar to Deaf_culture, as they see themselves as a valid subculture separate from "The Sighted", and "The Disabled" or "The Disabled Community" is used similarly as well. This is an area of some controversy.
  • Wheelchair-bound for someone who uses a wheelchair
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