The importance of disability‐inclusive language

2025/08/20 by Melanie Thorley · 1 voice
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Disability Education and Employment #Disability Rights and Representation #Hearing Impairment and Communication

paper · doi:10.5456/wpll.27.2.164

openalex publication_date 2025/08/20 · openalex created_date 2025/09/05 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21

Abstract

Disability-inclusive language has been garnering attention in recent years, and higher education providers (HEPs) need to move with the times. Outdated terminology such as ‘declare and disclose’; ‘interventions’; and ‘people with disabilities’ should be avoided to ensure disabled students and disabled staff feel welcomed, and to nurture a sense of belonging. Negative terminology perpetuates misconceptions and can contribute to discriminatory attitudes and actions. Existing and new models of disability, including the STAART Principles of Disability (SPoD) will be discussed to demonstrate the impact of language. This paper was developed from a presentation I was invited to deliver for the Open University Access, Participation and Success seminar in October 2023 and uses disability-inclusive language in a UK context.

Discussions

• Brilliant news! 🎉 Dr Melanie Thorley has published a new article with @OpenUniversity on disability-inclusive language in higher education, challenging negative terms & sharing the @UniofGreenwich ST [bsky, 0 points, 0 comments]

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