Talking about Intellectual Disability

Talking about Intellectual Disability

Talking about intellectual disabilities is not always easy for people who do not work in this field. It is common to read that people “suffer” from intellectual disabilities, or are “disabled”. These terms are not appropriate and do not correspond to the way disability is defined in Quebec, Canada and in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Indeed, disability is more often than not the result of a society that is not adapted to difference and is therefore socially constructed. Thus, a person is not inherently disabled, his or her environment is disabling.

In order to facilitate the work of those who write and talk about people living with an intellectual disability (journalists, politicians, researchers, etc.), the Society has created a number of tools that can help.

• Words Matter!: a two-sided checklist with the terms to be used

• A guide for journalists: “How to talk to a person with an intellectual disability”: in PDF format and mobile-friendly, this aide-memoire is designed to equip journalists who wish to interview a person with an intellectual disability. The checklist contains the terms to be used, as well as general information on intellectual disabilities and the misconceptions that the public may have about them.

 

• The terminology records of the Office québécois de la langue française: the Society has worked with the OQLF to ensure that the vocabulary suggested by the OQLF corresponds to the demands and preferences of the intellectual disability community.

It is important to use the right words, as vocabulary can be harmful and perpetuate prejudices and stereotypes about people. Inclusion is everyone’s business.

The Society is always available to answer questions from the public and journalists. If you need more information, please contact us.