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What is Person-Centered Language?

North Star Oregon • Jun 19, 2024
At North Star Oregon, a disability support organization in Oregon, we focus on person-centered care. When working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), it’s crucial to use destigmatizing, respectful language. In disability spaces, we call this person-centered language. 

Today, we’ll take a closer look at person-centered language, why it’s used, and how to use it. This will strengthen your relationships with people with all kinds of disabilities, not just I/DD.

What is Person-Centered Language?

Also called person-centered language, person-centered language refers to individuals as people before discussing their disabilities. In short, it describes what someone “has” instead of what someone “is.” When we use person-centered language, we avoid using adjectives to describe people and instead describe what a person is experiencing. 

Instead of calling someone “disabled,” we could say someone is a “person with a disability.” We could also say someone is a ”person without vision” instead of calling them blind.

The opposite of this would be identity first language, which refers to people by their disability first. Some people with autism prefer to be called autistic, for example. People who use identity centered language take pride in their disabilities and believe they cannot be separated from who they are as people

Why Use Person First Language?

Using person-centered language is compassionate. It recognizes a person’s worth, interests, strengths, and personality beyond their disability. People are more than just their disability, and using language that affirms this dignifies people with I/DD. By using person-first language, we’re able to communicate that disabilities are just one part of a person, not their defining feature.

In addition, people identify themselves with the words others use to describe them. When we refer to people as “disabled,” they’re more likely to view their disability as a character trait. This can have an affect on self image - even though disabilities are not inherently negative, some people view them as such.

Lastly, using person centered language implies that disabilities happen to people as opposed to them being a person’s own doing (or their parents’ doing). Sometimes, identity first language carries a stigma, especially with disabilities that develop during pregnancy. We can mitigate harmful assumptions by referring to people as people first.

Should You Always Use Person First Language?

While many parents of individuals with I/DD prefer person-centered language, a growing number of people with disabilities prefer identity-centered language. It’s important to know your audience—if you know a person prefers one over the other, that’s what you should use. You should also respect a person’s language choice when they’re not around. The way we talk about others shapes the public’s perception of them, and it should be up to the individual to decide how they want to be perceived.

Some disability communities generally prefer person first language, whereas others lean towards identity first language. Despite this, don’t assume that you know which one someone prefers just because they identify with a certain community. We should always ask a person with disabilities how they’d like you to describe them.

How to Use Person First Language

Using person first language can take some practice if you’ve never used it before. Let’s explore a few examples of how to use this language with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

When using person centered language, we would avoid referring to people with disabilities as “special needs.” People are not their needs, and people with disabilities have needs very similar to neurotypical folks. Instead, we can call them a “person with Down Syndrome” or “a person living with FAS.”

People with I/DD have a higher likelihood of experiencing a mental illness than the general population. Instead of referring to a person as depressed, bipolar, or schizophrenic, we could say they’re a “person living with depression, bipolar, or schizophrenia.” As we discussed, this takes the emphasis off of the illness when talking about a person.

Person-Centered Disability Support Care in Oregon

At North Star Oregon, we focus on person-centered care. Like person-centered language, this approach dignifies the individuals we work with, viewing them as people and not just their disabilities. We treat people with I/DD as equal partners in coordinating their care.

By taking time to fully understand people’s needs and goals, we’re able to provide services tailored to each individual. North Star Oregon serves people with I/DD through disability support services such as Day Support Activities and In-Home Attendant Care in the mid-Willamette Valley. We currently serve Benton, Linn, Marion, and Polk Counties. Contact us today to see if North Star Oregon can be added to your loved one’s ISP!

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