'Avoid outdated terms': New toolkit guides media on respectful language for people with disabilities

NEW DELHI: The terms "wheelchair bound,” "handicapped parking,” and "retarded” are frequently used in media reporting about people with disabilities. The handbook provides journalists with guidelines on respectful language, best practices, and strategies for thoughtfully engaging with disability issues, ensuring that this invisibility topic receives accurate representation in the media. It stated that outdated and offensive terms such as “invalid,” “handicapped,” or “retarded” should be avoided; instead, terms like “a person with a learning disability” or “a person with an intellectual disability” should be used. The term “fit” should be used instead of "seizure" when referring to epilepsy incidents unless directly quoting someone, the handbook said.