A case for using ‘people-first language’ in PR writing

In an era when users can get slammed on social media in an instant, the last thing we need is new sanctioned terminology to use in our writing.

The AP Stylebook has already done the heavy lifting on how writers should characterize people with disabilities. Whether you adhere to that style, it is important understand the thinking behind the issue.

Let’s take a look at what the AP Stylebook says about a common term:

Wheelchair-user : People use wheelchairs for independent mobility. Do not use confined to a wheelchair, or wheelchair-bound. If a wheelchair is needed, say why.

For some, when the AP Stylebook weighs in on something, that’s good enough. If someone asks why we wrote something a certain way, we respond simply, “It’s AP style.” Case closed.

In PR, however, many recognize the importance of word choice in communications. We also know that in the vast majority of instances with regard to disabilities, most writers have no desire to offend. Words not only reflect attitudes, but also affect them.

Disrespectful language can present even greater challenges to people with disabilities who often find that dealing with perceptions of dependence—not independence—are more daunting than whatever physical, intellectual or emotional challenges they face.

It is precisely with this in mind that the concept of “people-first language” has emerged and has been incorporated—to some extent—into the AP Stylebook.

Don’t think about it as nuance. Think about people-first as a philosophy of respect that comes through in your writing. Aim to put the individual ahead of that individual’s limitation.

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Here are some people-first guidelines that may help explain the rationale behind AP Style:

• Refer to a person’s disability only when it’s relevant to the discussion.

• When writing about accommodations such as parking spaces, the people-first descriptor "accessible" is preferred over "handicapped.”

• When writing about people without disabilities, particularly when a disability issue is part of story, know that when you call some “normal” or “healthy” you are labeling those with disabilities in that story as “abnormal” or “unhealthy.”

Here are two common words that go against people-first style:

Victim or sufferer : People fighting cancer do not want to be perceived as victims, nor do they identify as sufferers.

The people-first philosophy describes people as individuals—not using their disability. Just as you wouldn’t describe someone who wears glasses as a vision-sufferer, you shouldn’t overplay the sympathy card when describing someone with a disability.

It shouldn’t take a stylebook guide to do that right.

When you write something involving someone with a disability think of the person first, and the disability second. Sometimes, it’s just that simple.

Tim O’Brien is owner of Pittsburgh-based O’Brien Communications, a corporate communications consultancy. A version of this article originally appeared on Muck Rack, a service that enables you to find journalists to pitch, build media lists, get press alerts and create coverage reports with social media data. via)

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