| Use | Avoid |
| Person with a disability | Cripple, Handicapped, Invalid |
| Person who has/with … (specific disability) | Victim of …, Afflicted with … |
| Nondisabled, Able-bodied | Normal (implies a person with a disability is abnormal) |
| Deaf, Hard of hearing | Deaf-mute, Deaf and Dumb |
| Disabled since birth, Born with … | Birth defect |
| Psychiatric disability, Emotional disorder, Mental illness | Crazy, Insane, Wacko, Lunatic, Psychotic, Schizophrenic |
| Epilepsy, Seizures | Fits |
| Learning disability, Developmental disability, Cognitive disability | Mental retardation, Slow, Retarded, Stupid |