disabled
Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
disabled/dɪsˈeɪbld/
▶adjective (of a person) having a physical or mental disability.
■ designed for or relating to disabled people: disabled access.
usage:
The word disabled is the most generally accepted term in both British and US English today. It has superseded outmoded, now often offensive, terms such as crippled and handicapped and has not been overtaken itself by newer coinages such as differently abled or physically challenged.
Some people regard the use of the adjective as a plural noun (as in the needs of the disabled) as dehumanizing. A more acceptable term would be people with disabilities.
The word disabled is the most generally accepted term in both British and US English today. It has superseded outmoded, now often offensive, terms such as crippled and handicapped and has not been overtaken itself by newer coinages such as differently abled or physically challenged.
Some people regard the use of the adjective as a plural noun (as in the needs of the disabled) as dehumanizing. A more acceptable term would be people with disabilities.
'disabled' also found in these Oxford entries:
able-bodied
- carer
- Chelsea pensioner
- community care
- cripple
- differently abled
- DL
- gimp
- handicapped
- invalid
- lame
- LD
- learning disability
- mobility allowance
- Paralympics
- paralysis
- pension
- respite care
- semi-invalid
- social security
- tricycle
- walking frame
- war pension
- wheelchair
