How People-First Language Supports Employee Mental Health
Improve employee wellbeing with these simple tips
Employers who want to support a healthy workplace can benefit from ensuring their culture and communications reflect people-first language.
What is people-first language?
Unlike many leadership or workplace culture buzzwords, people-first language is exactly what it sounds like. When you use people-first language, you recognize and speak about the person before referencing their disability or barrier.
People first language helps validate the other person’s humanity and emphasizes their potential rather than their challenges. It recognizes that a person HAS a disability, not that they ARE their disability.
Why people-first language matters
Building a habit of people-first language can help ensure all employees treat each other with respect. Unfortunately, there are many phrases commonly in use that can unintentionally create barriers for another employee. This is especially true when a fellow employee has an “invisible disability” or simply chooses not to disclose a challenge such as depression, anxiety, trauma, substance use recovery or other mental health conditions.
By building a habit of thinking of others as people first, rather than defining someone by their disability, we can avoid “jokes” or remarks that others might not find funny. For example, an employee who accidentally startles another employee might make a joke about someone being “paranoid.” Although hurting another employee’s feelings might be unintentional, the word paranoid could feel hurtful to someone dealing with a mental health condition they do not want to discuss. In fact, using people-first language can often make people feel more comfortable sharing information about an invisible disability, which then makes it easier to treat them with respect and avoid unintentional mistakes.
Examples of people-first language)
Say | Instead Of |
| A person in recovery | An addict |
| A person who uses a wheelchair | A wheelchair-bound person |
| A person with a disability | A handicapped person |
| Someone who is experiencing depression | Someone who is suffering from depression |
People-first language is a helpful starting point, but individual preferences matter most. Some people prefer identity-first language, so when you are unsure, ask the person how they would like to be described.
How can employees balance being respectful with fear of saying the wrong thing?
The most important thing for anyone to remember is that the only time it is necessary to reference someone’s condition at work is when it’s relevant to the conversation. That means that most of the time, there’s no need to reference someone’s disability. You can just call someone by their name; there is no need to attach a disability to it.
At Goodwill, we work to help anyone find and keep a job. We recognize how language can help enhance the workplace and every employee’s quality of life. As an employer, building a habit of using people-first language can ensure you have a more welcoming workplace, that your leaders will be trusted to a greater degree, and that by focusing on ability instead of disability, you are encouraging the best and most productive work from your entire team. Whether someone in your workplace has a visible or invisible disability, creating a culture of respect for everyone’s unique abilities can help ensure greater success for your business.