Language Matters: Purple Orange Language Guide 2024
Have you ever wondered what language to use when you talk to or write about people with disability?
Do you know the difference between person-first and identity first language?
Are you looking for an easy reference guide that you can use in your work or life?
The language that we use to describe and discuss disability has a significant impact. It can change the way that members of the disability community feel, for better or worse, and it also influences the attitudes and understanding of people in the broader community.
In order to make sure we respect the preferences of the community we represent, in late 2023 we did a survey for feedback on individual language choices and received 182 responses.
Contributors included Julia Farr group employees, board members, peer network members and our broader community, engaged through our newsletter and social media. This covered a mix of people who identify as having a disability, those who work in the sector but do not claim identity, and people in the immediate circle of someone in the disability community - through family or close personal connection.
We have shared the results of the survey in our Language Survey Report 2024, which you can download below.
The findings of the report have informed the latest edition of the Language Guide ("Guide"), developed by JFA Purple Orange, which aims to support respectful and inclusive language choices when discussing and describing disability.
The Guide covers essential topics such as:
- Person-first vs. identity-first language
- Guidelines for using terminology around disability
- General recommendations for ensuring respectful communication
In the video below, our Manager, Policy and Projects, Belle Owen talks more about the results of the language survey and the newly released Guide.