Introduction
We are ATLAS, Surrey's participation group for young people with additional needs and disabilities.
One of our priorities is challenging negative attitudes, discrimination and stereotypes about disability. We believe that language is an important part of this because the words people use can affect how others see us, how we see ourselves and how included we feel.
We created this guide during Disability Pride Month 2026 after a series of workshops about disability, identity and language. We talked about the words people use when discussing disability, which terms we prefer and how professionals can make conversations more respectful and inclusive.
What is important to remember that everyone has different preferences. There is no single set of words that everyone likes. That's why it is important to ask people what language they prefer and respect their choice.
We hope this guide helps people better understand disability language and supports more inclusive conversations.
Preferred Language and Terminology
As part of our discussions, we looked at different words and phrases used to talk about disability and additional needs.
We used a Red, Amber and Green (RAG) system:
- Green = terms that most of us viewed positively.
- Amber = terms where opinions were mixed and depended on the individual.
- Red = terms that were generally viewed as less inclusive.
One of our main messages is that language is personal. What one person likes may not be what someone else prefers.
The best thing people can do is ask: "What language do you prefer?" Taking the time to ask shows respect and helps us feel listened to.
Green Terms:
| Word or Term | Young people said |
|---|---|
| Additional Needs and Disabilities (AND) | “That’s definitely better, it feels less like being put in a box and more a way to describe myself.” |
| Specialist School | “I think I agree with the term specialist school because it’s like personalised education for a group of people. In terms of specialist school, I feel like the teachers are specialised to teach young people with additional needs and disabilities.” “I tend to use the term specialist when talking about schools instead of special. They are targeted for a specific thing, so they are specialist, not special” |
| Wheelchair User | “This term is how I feel comfortable describing myself, I think terms like confined to a wheelchair are outdated.” |
| Has Lived Experience / Lived Experience of… | “I like this way more as it talks about the experience of your life versus the label of a diagnosis” “Probably more has rather than any other term because that’s probably the easiest thing because having a lived experience it’s just I don’t know if I was to describe myself, I wouldn’t say I have a lived experience.” |
Amber Terms:
| Word or Term | Young people said |
|---|---|
| Disability | “I usually have always gone with the bog standard disabled, but I know some people have their own preference on that.” “Some people have reclaimed 'disabled' – some people have reclaimed, some not” "Disability is not a bad word” |
| Neurodiversity | “According to google it seems like a widely accepted term.” “Yes, I like this term.” “This feels like the right word.” |
| High and Low Support Needs and Complex Needs (Depending on the preference of the individual) | “I think maybe where young people have either limited or complex needs it can be good to describe it as high or low support needs. However, for people who don’t have extreme needs it’s not as good as a term.” “Complex needs I kind of get it, but it can kind of come across as you are too difficult.” “Every person is different, so I think categorising is a big mistake.” |
| SEND, Special Educational Needs (SEN), and Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENco) | “Not only do these acronyms include the word special, but they also relate someone's needs directly to an educational setting. We want these terms changed to remove the 'educational' component from the descriptor” |
| Everyone is a bit on the spectrum | “Part of me disagrees with it but also someone can have autistic traits or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) traits, but they don’t have the diagnosis. When people do say that they think they have it I think it can be quite insulting because I’m thinking like are they though? I also don’t know their situation so I can’t discount that.” “I think it can be seen as positive because it shows that if you are neurodivergent, you aren’t completely different it just means everyone has a different level on it because we are all different and unique.” |
| SEND Units | “For SEND blocks I wouldn’t call them units they do call it that in a mainstream school, I hate that word. I don’t know what the alternative should be though because the word unit sounds very isolating in my head.” “When I was in college it was just called learning support.” “I feel like SEND blocks or SEND departments is just a little outdated I personally don’t think Neurodiverse is as outdated as SEND. I think it should be like specialised or additional learning support.” |
Red Terms:
| Word or Term | Young people said |
|---|---|
| Special | “I hate that word I think it’s very offensive and I hate that it’s still statutory like SEND.” |
| Special School | “There probably needs to be some kind of campaign to say some people with disabilities don’t like the term special school as I have heard lots of different feelings about it.” |
| High and Low Functioning | “It makes somebody seems more able than somebody else maybe if a school said they offer support for all level of needs and requirements that would sound a lot less condescending.” “I would say I would be called low functioning. It separates disabled people. I'd say it would make people feel different and not in a good way. You're making another minority.” “No-one is in a box, no-one is linear” “A spiky profile is so common in neurodivergence as well and having different levels of support needs in different areas.” |
Confined to Wheelchair | “The word confined sounds limiting.” |
| Suffers From/With | “The term suffers from I really don’t like because it makes it sounds like a disease or illness.” |
Professionals and Accessible Language
We spent time discussing how teachers, doctors and other professionals can use language in a way that makes young people feel comfortable and respected. We identified previous experiences and differing individual preferences as two barriers
Previous Experiences
Some of us said that negative experiences with professionals can make it difficult to speak up about our preferences.
As one young person explained:
"It's really hard because I have issues trusting professionals as it is. Even when you build a rapport with them and you try and tell them, they don't always listen."
We suggested having a way to record our preferred language at the start of appointments or meetings. This would mean we do not have to keep repeating ourselves and would help professionals remember our preferences.
One young person suggested:
"I would idealistically have a 'dos and don'ts sheet' so it's like do say this and don't say this."
Another said:
"Doctors always have a medical sheet in front of them anyway, so even if it was part of the usual sheet that could work."
Individual Preferences
We also talked about how every person is different.
Some of us identify as disabled, while others prefer terms such as neurodivergent or having additional needs.
One young person said:
"For me I consider myself to have hidden needs, but I don't consider myself to be disabled."
Because everyone has different preferences, we felt professionals should not make assumptions.
Instead, they should simply ask:
"What would you prefer?"
As one young person explained:
"You shouldn't have to feel the pressure to state it yourself because it can be very difficult."
By asking and listening, professionals can help us feel respected, supported and included.
The Impact of Language
Language can have a big impact on our experiences.
The words people use can affect whether we feel respected, understood and comfortable sharing our thoughts and experiences.
We discussed how positive language and negative language can make us feel very differently.
When Positive Language Is Used
We are more likely to feel:
- Supported
- Understood
- Valued
- Listened to
- Included
- Respected
- Confident
- Comfortable being ourselves
When Negative Language Is Used
We are more likely to feel:
- Ignored
- Embarrassed
- Stereotyped
- Patronised
- Uncomfortable
- Anxious
- Not listened to
- Excluded
These discussions showed us that language matters. Using respectful and inclusive language can make a real difference to how safe and welcome we feel.
Conclusion
This guide is about encouraging understanding, respect and positive conversations.
We know that language preferences are different for everyone, so there is no perfect list of words that will work for all people. What matters most is asking us what we prefer and listening to our answer.
When people use the language we are comfortable with, it helps us feel respected, valued and included. Small changes in language can make a big difference in creating welcoming and accessible spaces for everyone.
To Hear More
As part of Disability Pride Month to capture our conversations we recorded a podcast which talks about the important themes discussed in this guide such as the power of language, The Social Model of Disability, disability identity and disability culture. Listen to it below.
If you would like to read our full PDF on the Young Peoples Guide to Accessible Language, please email atlas@surreycc.gov.uk to receive a copy.