Law Society publishes guidance on disability terminology

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The Law Society of England and Wales has released guidance on disability terminology and language to support employers and employees in the workplace.

The guidance, which was published to coincide with Disability History Month, advises against using terms that imply pity, such as ‘suffering from’ or ‘victim of’, and suggests using language like ‘support’ instead of ‘help’ when referring to disabled individuals. It also covers other commonly used terms relating to non-visible/apparent disabilities, neurodiversity, health conditions and assistive technology.

There were 5.1 million disabled people in employment in the UK in Q2 2023, according to UK government statistics, which is an increase of 2.2 million since the same quarter in 2013. However, data from the Solicitors Regulation Authority revealed that disabled lawyers still face significant underrepresentation, with only 6% of lawyers identifying as disabled compared to 16% in the UK workforce.

The guidance emphasised the importance of understanding the meaning behind the terms used to address people with disabilities “to ensure the [legal] profession is using the right words, phrases and acronyms when talking about disability”. 

Law Society President Richard Atkinson highlighted the fear of “saying the wrong thing” as failure to “address the barriers to improving disability inclusion”. Atkinson added: “Identity is extremely personal. We urge the profession to listen, educate themselves, learn and politely ask about preferences if they’re in doubt.”