People first language emphasizes the individuality, equality and dignity of people with disabilities. Rather than defining people primarily by their disability, people first language focuses on the person and conveys respect. Below are examples of the appropriate use of people first language.
| Affirmative Phrases | Negative Phrases |
| person with an intellectual, cognitive, developmental disability | retarded mentally defective |
| person who is blind person who is visually impaired |
the blind |
| person with a disability | the disabled handicapped |
| person who is deaf | the deaf deaf and dumb |
| person who is hard of hearing | suffers a hearing loss |
| person who has multiple sclerosis | afflicted by MS |
| person with cerebral palsy | CP victim |
| person with epilepsy person with a seizure disorder |
epileptic |
| person who uses a wheelchair | wheelchair bound confined to a wheelchair |
| person who has muscular dystrophy | stricken by MD |
| person with a physical disability | crippled lame deformed |
| Person who is unable to speak Person who uses synthetic speech |
dumb mute |
| person with a psychiatric disability | crazy nuts |
| person who is successful, productive | has overcome his/her disability is courageous (when it implies the person has courage because of having a disability) |
