Etiquette and Talking about Disability Brochures

Life for most people with mental or physical disabilities is vastly improved over what it was twenty or thirty years ago.  However, some things have been slower to change; namely, attitudes and perceptions about people with disabilities. 

Ignorance and discrimination can be serious impediments to achieving integration, productivity, and independence for people with disabilities. The use of outdated language and words to describe people with disabilities contributes greatly to perpetuating old stereotypes.  No longer should we view people with disabilities as helpless or tragic victims.

Awareness is the first step toward correcting this injustice.  If public opinion about people with disabilities is to be brought up to date, the public needs to hear and learn to use appropriate language.

To help address these issues the Coalition has produced two brochures.  One focuses on disability etiquette with recommendations about how to interact with a person with a disability in a variety of situations.  The other focuses on the use of appropriate language when speaking about disabilities.

Below are links to PDF and MS Word (text only) versions of each.