Identity-first language is a way of referring to individuals that emphasizes their disability as a core aspect of their identity and one that cannot be separated from their personhood. Identity-first language is often encouraged as a way to challenge stigma and stereotypes about disability, normalize disability, and highlight the pride that many have in their disability identity. An example of identify-first language is “I’m disabled” instead of “I have a disability”, which would be considered person-first language.
Glossary Term