At Yonkers Public Library the DEI committee had a meeting with the staff explaining the preferred language to describe a person with disabilities. The committee explained that you shouldn’t use offensive words such as dwarf or midget to describe a little person. Using phrases like “suffering from” or “afflicted with” makes it sound like people should be pitied or looked down on.

Some words on the “May Be Offensive” list are still commonly used. Here’s a way to avoid that. The best way to describe someone with a disability is with the wording that the person uses about themselves even if the wording seems offensive to you.

You can learn more about what language might be offensive and some alternatives here