Resource Category
Training Materials

People First Language

Posted 12/13/2022 (updated 3/27/2024)

The guide on People First Language can help when using respectful language and referring to people with disabilities, as enacted by the District of Columba on July 11, 2006. “People First Language” (PFL) puts the person before the disability, and describes what a person has, not who a person is. 

The table gives examples, in alphabetical order, of ways to substitute PFL for outdated and/or offensive terminology.