Ask a Self-Advocate: The Pros and Cons of Person-First and Identity-First Language

What is person-first and identity-first language?

A blank notebook sitting on a wooden table with a pencil resting on top of it

There is debate within the disability community on whether to use person-first language or identity-first language when describing a person who has a disability. Person-first language is language that puts a person before their diagnosis, such as being a person with a disability. Identity-first language is language that leads with a person’s diagnosis, such as being a disabled person.

What are the pros and cons of person-first language?

There are some positive things about using person-first language. For example, this type of language can reinforce that people with disabilities are human beings. Since society tends to view the disability community as inferior, person-first language helps ensure that people with disabilities are treated with the same respect as people without disabilities.

There are also some negative things about using person-first language. For instance, this type of language treats having a disability like having a disease or illness. Despite the fact that disabilities and disease are both diagnosable, a diagnosis of autism is not the same as a diagnosis of cancer or COVID-19. Since disabilities are not deadly or contagious, people do not need to be cured of them. In fact, a person cannot be separated from their disability.

What are the pros and cons of identity-first language?

There are some benefits to using identity-first language. For example, this type of language conveys a disability as being a permanent and important part of a person’s identity. The blind, Deaf, and autistic communities see their disabilities as being fundamental parts of who they are.

There are also some drawbacks to using identify-first language. For instance, this type of language may cause people to think that a person’s disability completely defines who they are. This is especially problematic when some people’s views on disabilities are based solely on negative stereotypes, such as that autistic people lack empathy. 

Should people use person-first or identity-first language?

It is best to ask each individual person which language they prefer or research the general consensus of different parts of the disability community. When you want to emphasize something that people with disabilities have in common with people without disabilities, you can use person-first language. For example, you can say “students with disabilities should be in general education classrooms.” When you want to emphasize something specific to disabled people, you can use identity-first language. For instance, “disabled students receive accommodations to help them achieve their goals.”

What language do I prefer to use about myself?

If someone asked me which language I prefer, I would say identity-first language. One reason I would say I am “an autistic man” as opposed to “a man with autism” is because I want to stand in solidarity with the autistic community, which favors identity-first language over person-first language and sees autism as an important part of who we are. Another reason is because I use identity-first language when talking about other parts of my identity, such as race, and I feel that my disability deserves the same treatment.

Jevon Okundaye was the 2017-2018 Young Adult Leader Fellow at MAC and returned while the office is working remotely. This is a post in his blog series “Ask a Self-Advocate.” Jevon is a Black autistic young man. He graduated from Tufts University in 2019. Jevon hopes this series can help others self-advocate and succeed in school, college, jobs, and life. The suggestions in this series are based on Jevon’s personal experience. He realizes that what worked for him may not work for everyone else. The experience and advice in this post are based on a pandemic-free world.