Identity language: ask whose wording is being chosen

For example, “person with a disability” and “disabled person” illustrate the two arrangements. Their grammar does not determine which wording a particular person wants. Here, identity language means choices about referring to someone; it does not mean assigning an identity or deciding whether personal information should be disclosed.

A caption needs more than a style rule

In a fictional family, an adult is contributing a photograph to a community exhibition. A relative writes a caption describing the adult's disability, assuming that person-first language makes the caption considerate.

The adult would prefer identity-first wording if that detail were relevant, but does not want disability mentioned in this caption at all. They want the photograph credited to their name with a sentence about the place it depicts.

There are two separate decisions: whether to include the information, and how to word it if included. Solving the second question does not settle the first. The relative changes the caption according to the contributor's wishes rather than debating which label proves greater respect.

Keep the preference attached to its person and context

If someone tells you a preference, use it in the context they described. Avoid expanding it into a claim about everyone in the same community. An individual's choice is not a vote that binds their siblings, partner, or peers.

A parent can ask a child what wording they want in an ordinary club introduction while explaining what information the club actually requested. A teen can revise a draft introduction before it is shared. A grandparent learning a newer term can ask a brief question without requiring the younger relative to give a lecture about a whole community.

These are suggested conversation choices. They do not establish who may make decisions for someone in a formal medical, educational, or legal setting.

Record enough, not everything

An optional editorial note can be very small: “Preferred wording for this text”; “Details to leave out”; and “Who will see the finished version.” There is no need to turn the note into a register of every relative's diagnoses or identity history.

When a preference is unknown, describe the situation precisely and consider whether the identity detail is needed. If a publication follows a particular style guide, identify it as that publication's convention rather than universal agreement. For this everyday editorial decision, keep the individual's stated wording in view instead of treating house style as their personal preference.

Do not silently rewrite someone's self-description in a quotation. If a paraphrase is appropriate, make clear that it is a paraphrase and preserve the intended meaning. This page offers an editorial distinction, not permission to publish a person's account or a guarantee that one word choice will prevent misunderstanding.

Sources

1. National Institutes of Health. Person-first and Destigmatizing Language. NIH Style Guide; page last reviewed June 13, 2025; original publication date not established. Accessed September 6, 2026. Opening three paragraphs. Style-guide page.

Related guides

• Neurodiversity

  : distinguish related vocabulary.

• Lived experience

  : identify whose account is being presented.

• Personal privacy

  : decide whether details belong in a text.

• Strengths-based language

  : examine what descriptions emphasize.