List of disability-related terms with negative connotations

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The following is a list of terms used to describe disabled people or disabilities, terms that may be considered negative or offensive by either disabled or non-disabled people.

There is a great deal of disagreement as to what should be considered offensive. Views vary with geography, over time, and among individuals. Some of the terms, such as "retard," are deliberate insults; others, such as "wheelchair-bound," are inherently negative; still others, such as "Mongolism," are based on stereotypical ideas of certain disabled groups.

Many other terms' inclusion of this list can be disputed because they are highly interpretable. For example, some people consider the word "handicapped" to be derogatory, while others see it as a synonym for "disabled"; and it is still used by some disabled people. Certain disabled and non-disabled people are offended by such terms, while others are offended by the replacement of such terms with what they consider to be euphemisms (e.g., "differently abled"). Some people believe that terms should be avoided if they might offend people; others hold the listener responsible for misinterpreting terms used in a non-offensive context.

Finally, some disabled people are choosing to reclaim certain terms, using them to describe themselves with high-impact effect. Reclaiming a term gives it a positive meaning when used by the people it describes, but it is still considered a slur when used by others.

Cripple used to mean "physically disabled person." Its shortened form "crip" is often used by impish disabled people as a term of endearment. See also the essay On Being a Cripple by Nancy Mairs.
Gimp used to refer to people with physical disabilities. Gimp, like crip, is being reclaimed for positive use among people with disabilities.
Handicapped used to mean "disabled person", and handicap for "disability".
Joey used as a derogatory term for someone with Cerebral Palsy (see Joey Deacon)
Lame to refer to difficulty walking, or moving with pain or difficulty
Mentally retarded used to describe someone with a learning disability, a significantly low IQ, and/or developmental disability (and mental retardation to describe their disability); these terms are still in use among some professionals.
Midget used to mean "dwarf"
"Mongol," "Mongoloid," or "Mongolism" for Down syndrome. This originated from the perception that facial features of people with Down syndrome were similar to those of people from Mongolia.
Retard is used as an insult for people with mental disabilities.
"Schizo" or "Schizoid" for schizophrenic
"Slow" or Slow learner for someone with a learning disability
Spastic (or "Spaz," "Spazzy," "Spack," or "Spackhead") for someone with Cerebral Palsy
Special or Special Ed- could be interpreted as patronising. This term is, however, commonly accepted.
"The Disabled," "The Blind" etc. instead of "people with disabilities", "people who are blind" etc. Conversely, some use "The Blind" in a manner similar to Deaf culture, as they see themselves as a valid subculture separate from "The Sighted"; "The Disabled" and "The Disabled Community" are used similarly as well.
"Wheelchair-bound" for someone who uses a wheelchair; "wheelchair user" or "person who uses a wheelchair" is preferred, referring to the wheelchair as a tool rather than an entrapment. It is also inaccurate, in that most wheelchair users are not "bound" to their chairs (an example exception being senile persons who cannot remember not to stand unaided), and are often able to stand, transfer, and leave the chair.
"Yuppie flu" used as a pejorative term for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) or CFS. This originated from the media stereotype of people with ME as ambitious young and affluent, having an illness indistinguishable from influenza, neither of which are accurate portrayals.