Disability etiquette is a set of guidelines dealing specifically with how to approach a person with a disability.
There is no consensus on when this phrase first came into use, although it most likely grew out of the Disability Rights Movement that began in the early 1970s. The concept may have started as a cynical play on existing rule sheets, written for audiences without a disability, that were seen as patronizing by civil rights activists.
Most disability etiquette guidelines seem to be predicated on a simple dictate: "Do not assume ..." They are written to address real and perceived shortcomings in how society as a whole treats disabled people.
These guidelines can be broken down into the several broad categories.
"Do not assume ...":
Each category encompasses specific "rules". For example, the last two of these would include guidelines such as:
People writing on specific disabilities have given rise to their own unique guidelines. Wheelchair users may, for example, include the rule, "do not grab the push handles of a person's wheelchair without permission."[1] Visually impaired people often list a request to, "identify yourself when you enter a room."
See also: List of disability-related terms with negative connotations.
Like many other minority groups, disabled people do not always agree on what constitutes respectful language, and many may have contradicting views on what they prefer. Some may prefer being referred to as 'a person with a disability' rather than as a disabled person - that preference is people-first language. The language someone uses to refer to their disability can signify whether they believe in a medical model of disability or a social model of disability. [2]