1	Person First Language “The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names” Old Chinese Proverb
2	Who are “the handicapped???” Society’s myth’s tell us they are : People who “suffer” from the “tragedy” of birth defects Heroes “struggling” to become “normal” “Victims” of disease “fighting” to regain their lives Categorized as “the disabled”, “the retarded”, “the autistic”, “the blind”, “the deaf” and more
3	Who are they really? They are moms and dads, sons and daughters, employees and employers Scientists (Stephen Hawking) Doctors, Lawyers, Teachers Grocery Store Employees Movie Stars (Marlee Matin) Friends and Neighbors
4	They are people first! People first language describes what a person HAS, not what a person IS.
5	Using People First Language is a crucial issue If people with disabilities are to be included in all aspects of our communities – in the very ordinary, very wonderful, very typical activities most people take for granted – then they must talk about themselves in the very ordinary, very wonderful, very typical language other people use about themselves.
6	"My son Benjamin is 11..." My son Benjamin is 11 years old. He loves the Lone ranger, ice cream, and playing on the computer. He has blond hair, blue eyes, and cerebral palsy. His disability is only one small part of his life. When I introduce myself I don’t tell people I’ll never be a prima ballerina. Like others, I focus on my strengths, the things I do well, not on what I can’t do. Don’t you do the same?
7	Examples of People First Language Instead of “the retarded man” The man with mental retardation Simply put, describe the person first, and the condition second.