“Children with disabilities” are children who have physical, emotional or intellectual disabilities.
There are five basic rules that we recommend to use in order not to discriminate against children with disabilities:
1. Do not focus on disability. Disability is not a basic characteristic of a child.
2. There are times when it is necessary to emphasize the best characteristic of a child among others. That’s why more right to say – a kid in a wheelchair, a kid with a speech impediment.
3. The outdated and offensive term “disabled” should be replaced by “children with special needs” or “children with disabilities”.
4. Eliminate offensive words using the name of the disease as a swear words. Such utterances are not allowed!
5. It is important for children with disabilities to feel as full members of society as we all do.
It is true that people say that words can hurt and heal, but using the right words one can build more than one “bridge of tolerance and understanding” between people.