Our Acknowledgement 
of Disability Language

We acknowledge that the language we use to talk about disability is important and constantly evolving.

‍In alignment with our project goal, our intention is to develop and disseminate content that is respectful and inclusive of diverse lived experiences and identities. Thus, we use both person-first language (e.g., students who are blind, teacher of students with visual impairment) and identity-first language (e.g., blind and low vision students) to discuss our target population and those who support them.

As well, we recognize the term “visual impairment” is ableist. However, we use this term when describing eligibility for school-aged children as this is the current term used in federal and state policies (e.g., Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 2004).

We consider the purpose of our content as well as the intended audience and the organizations, state policy documents, and teacher preparation with which our users may be familiar.

We have shared some resources below that we are currently using for guidance, but our own learning in this area is evolving as we engage with our advisory boards and others with diverse lived experiences and perspectives.

We will update our content and resources as we continue to learn. In the meantime, we invite you to reach out to our team to share additional perspectives and resources.