PEOPLE'S FIRST

PEOPLE FIRST LANGUAGE: PUTTING THE PERSON BEFORE THE CONDITION, BECAUSE THE CONDITION OF THE INDIVIDUAL IS SECONDARY TO THEIR HUMANITY.

1. disabled/handicaped:
   "dis" means not able. This language is disempowering. “Handicapped” is also offensive. Remember PEOPLE FIRST. Also, never say "confined to a wheelchair". The wheelchair is what allows a person to get around and participate in society. It is not confining, it's liberating. Remember not to victimize the person. FOCUS ON PEOPLE'S ABILITIES NOT "DISABILITIES".
   
   -person with _____
   -differently abled
   -uniquely abled
   
   
   

2. Psychotic/schizo/paranoid/bipolar/anorexic/etc:
   if referring to a person with a mental health condition, use people first language, never victimizing the person. Ex: person going through anorexia. Never refer to someone with just the adjective, there's anorexic behaviors, not anorexics. If NOT referring to someone with an actual mental health condition, DON'T USE IT out of context, because it reinforces stigmatization of mental health conditions and discrimination to people who experience them.
   
   
   

3. homeless:
   use people first language.
   
   - person experiencing homelessness
   
   
   

4. bum: 
   refers to either butt or to "bummer". "Bummer" refers someone who borrows something, but never pays back, coming from the German word for an irresponsible person. It is important to remember that homelessness is most often not a choice, but a result of unfortunate situations. Using this term perpetuates the idea that people experiencing homelessness are lazy, instead of taking into consideration the factors that brought them into this condition.
   
   -person experiencing homelessness
   
   
   

5. poor:
   it's simply a disempowering and condescending term. Less privileged people live in this condition due to a malfunctioning economic system, and they shouldn't be marginalized or discriminated in any way. Instead of being condescending, one should be compassionate.
   
   -less privileged people
   -economically marginalized
   -low– income
   -differently advantaged
   
   
   

6. addict:
   similar to people with a mental health condition: PEOPLE FIRST.  If possible, choose to avoid the word "addiction". It is highly stigmatized and deemed wrong, as if they made a conscious choice to become dependent. Substance abuse is a mental health condition, not a choice.
   
   -person going through substance abuse
   -substance abuse survivor 
   
   
   

7. retard:
   the suffix “-tard” is added to connote inferior or idiotic to a word. Although it is an accepted medical term, it is used as a derogatory term and should be avoided.
   
   -intellectually
   -developmentally challenged
   
   
   

8. developing country:
   these countries are considered inferior to first world countries by evaluating its stance in the world economy, however, economic power doesn’t exemplify a country’s overall development. Honestly, can we really say that the U.S. is overall developed?
   
   -majority country: it´s a better term because, actually, the majority of countries around the world are considered in “development”.