When you look in the mirror, what do you see?  As you wake each day, jump in the shower and prep yourself for a new adventure - what do you see?  Is your hair perfect?  Are your teeth spotless?  Do you have any blemishes?  Is your nose too big?  Is one arm longer than the other?

If you’re a beauty pageant contestant or model, perhaps you love what the mirror shows.  For some, that is not always the case and we will occasionally see something about ourselves that we wish was different.  Then there are others who know of their own imperfections but are quite content with how they appear.  Either way, as the saying goes, “Beauty is only skin deep.  It’s what’s on the inside that counts.”  People are much more than their appearance and its the uniqueness we each possess that draws others to us to become friends or perhaps more.   While your grandparents may be older than you, does that make them “old people?”  Ask them and they might disagree, preferring to go with another feature of theirs that overcomes that stereotype.

The language we use everyday to identify ourselves needs to keep in mind that very unique nature we all possess.  While all of us have flaws, there is much more to us and in most cases, those flaws are overcome by the personality or spirit we possess.  Putting people first is important - literally.  Put people first in your language and you honor them, their uniqueness and their special gifts.

Don’t say the handicapped or disabled;
Do Say people with disabilities;
Don’t say the mentally retarded;
Do Say people with cognitive disabilities;
Don’t say he/she’s retarded;
Do Say he/she has a cognitive disability;
Don’t say my child is autistic;
Do Say my child has autism;
Don’t say he/she’s a Downs kid;
Do Say he/she has Down Syndrome;
Don’t say he/she’s learning disabled;
Do Say he/she has a learning disability;
Don’t say he/she’s a paraplegic;
Do Say he/she has paraplegia;
Don’t say he/she’s crippled;
Do Say he/she has a physical disability, a mobile impairment;
Don’t say he/she’s a dwarf or midget;
Do Say he/she’s of short stature;
Don’t say he/she’s emotionally disturbed;
Do Say he/she has an emotional disability;
Don’t say he/she’s wheelchair bound or confined to a wheelchair;
Do Say he/she uses a wheelchair or has a mobility chair;
Don’t say normal and/or healthy kids;
Do Say typical kids or kids without disabilities;
Don’t say he/she’s in special ed;
Do Say he/she receives individual services;
Don’t say birth defect;
Do Say congenital disability;
Don’t say handicapped parking, bathrooms, etc;
Do Say accessible parking, bathrooms, etc;
Don’t say he/she has a problem with . . . ;
Do Say he/she has a need for . . .