Allies and Identity-First Language

A common occurrence on Twitter is for autistic and disabled people—who overwhelmingly use identity-first language—to be told by folks outside the community that we must use person-first language. We get corrected all the time, and attempts to educate folks about IFL often go badly.

Here’s a refreshing exception:

This is the kind of respect and advocacy we need from educators, healthcare workers, and others who have been trained to use and promote person-first language without regard to community and personal preferences.

I replied to the thread with my survey of neurodiversity and disability community writing on identity-first language:

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