Chaper A
a-
A prefix meaning “not, without, lack of.” Do not use a hyphen after attaching the prefix. …
a, an
The articles “a” and “an” are not interchangeable. “A” is used before words beginning with…
abbreviations
Also see acronyms. Avoid abbreviations, when possible, with a few rare exceptions. When…
able-bodied
See nondisabled.
ableism
Noun. Discrimination, both personal and structural, based on bias against disability. As an adjective…
abnormal
Describes scientific, medical, statistical, environmental or situational anomalies. …
abortion
Medically speaking, abortion is a broad term that means the termination of a pregnancy before fetal viability. It…
absolutism
A political theory that absolute power or the means of government …
accessibility
Describes the broad concept of making environments, spaces, products, technologies, and services…
accessible education, accessible learning
Broad terms that describe any adaptive or inclusive educational initiative…
acronyms
A word formed from the first letter or letters of a series of words. Examples: SCUBA (self-contained…
adage
An adage is any form of a short wise saying or proverb. It is often passed…
addict, addiction
Addiction is a recognized genetic chronic illness involving the brain, a person’s experiences and…
affect
The word “affect” is both a verb and a noun, though it is best known in its verb form, where it can…
afflicted with, suffers from, victim of
When discussing diseases or conditions, avoid using “afflicted with,” “stricken with,” “suffers from” or…
age
Always use Arabic numerals for people and animals. Use standard number rules for inanimate…
allege, alleged, allegedly
In reporting on a crime, rather than use terms like alleged murderer or alleged rapist, attribute the allegation. …
alt text
Alt text is provides a text alternative to visual items. It is not only an important part of accessibility…
American Sign Language (ASL)
American Sign Language (ASL) is a distinct language from English with distinct rules and distinct…
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (the ADA) is a U.S. federal civil rights law that prohibits…
amusia
Amusia, commonly called tone-deafness, is a congenital or acquired condition in which neural…
anonymous sources
EAPM news outlets avoid using anonymous sources but understands that there are times when using a pseudonym…
aphasia
A communication disorder which can affect how a person understands what is being…
aphorisms
As a literary device, aphorisms are short sayings that observe a truth…
apraxia
A movement disorder in which there is an inability to perform voluntary movements despite no…
Asperger’s, Asperger’s syndrome
For general purposes, use autism and autistic instead of Asperger’s.
The Autistic Self Advocacy…
assure
A transitive verb that means to make sure or certain or convince; to inform positively; to make…
audio description
Also called visual description or descriptive video. This narrative audio track gives an essential…
augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)
The ways in which people communicate other than oral speech. Augmentative communication…
authoritarianism
A form of rule in which power is centrally concentrated in one person, a small group of people, or…
Autism Spectrum Disorder
A medical diagnostic term defined in the ICD-11 for a broad spectrum of neurological…
autism, autistic
A disability that affects how people experience the world around them, which can be…