The Straits Times updates the language it uses to describe disability

SINGAPORE – The Straits Times has updated the language it uses to describe disability, in an effort to portray persons with disabilities more sensitively and accurately.

This comes after a review of the terminology used in the newsroom, and consultation with organisations in the disability sector, over the past few months.

“Language is a powerful tool to reflect and shape community attitudes as well as reflect the perspectives of particular groups,” said ST editor Jaime Ho.

“But we also acknowledge that there is no one-size-fits-all description of disability.”

The changes in how ST aims to cover persons with disabilities are part of the newsroom’s ongoing work to review and rethink its approach to journalism, he said.

One key change is the use of person-first language, which emphasises the person before the condition, such as saying “a person with disability” instead of “a disabled person”, or “a boy with autism” rather than “an autistic boy”. 

The person-first approach recognises that a disability is only one part of a person and does not define the individual entirely. 

In many organisations and institutions, including the UN, the person-first approach has become the most widely accepted language to refer to persons with disabilities.

Social service agencies say that using appropriate terms helps uphold the dignity of persons with disabilities and reduce stigma.

The review followed the first

Conversations with ST session in January

, which saw 45 guests from the non-profit sector discussing ST’s coverage of social issues, including disability terminology, with Mr Ho and members of the newsroom.

The Conversations series, which was launched as part of events to mark ST’s 180th anniversary in 2025, gives readers a direct platform to engage with the newsroom.

As part of the review, ST journalists who cover social issues spoke to 10 organisations to discuss the issues and language used in the media portrayal of persons with disabilities.

The organisations included St Andrew’s Autism Centre, Rainbow Centre, Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped, Singapore Association for the Deaf and SPD.

Mr Ho said: “They had really good feedback, and the iterative process brought us to the point where we could take on some of the feedback in our style guide.

“It was really about listening, explaining, and then making a best effort at not only representing the community better and more sensitively, but also making sure that it works best for our larger readership.”

Mr Ho said that the choice of words used to describe disability is a “constant and evolving balance”, and ST’s language style guide will continue to evolve as the newsroom engages with its readers.

“In fact, among editors, we take in and process feedback on our stories and the way we tell them on a daily basis,” he said.

“Such feedback forms the basis for how we constantly think about our coverage, and is an important part of the process of keeping our ear to the ground.”

Among the changes, ST will avoid using words that can further stigmatise or stereotype persons with disabilities, or portray them inaccurately.

These include terms such as “wheelchair-bound”, “invalid” and “bedridden”.

For example, it is inaccurate to call someone who uses a wheelchair “wheelchair-bound”, if that person can walk with the help of a walking aid.

Instead, ST will use “wheelchair user”, or say that a person “uses a wheelchair to get around”. 

ST will also try to describe how a condition affects a person, such as needing assistance with feeding, to give readers a fuller understanding of it. 

St Andrew’s Autism Centre chief executive Bernard Chew said the centre prefers the use of person-first language, as it believes that a person with autism or other disability should not be defined by it and the challenges that come with it, regardless of severity.

However, he noted there are persons with autism who prefer the identity-first language, an approach that emphasises the disability first, such as “autistic person”.

There are instances, he said, where the identity-first language may be appropriate, for example, when the individuals feel that autism is an inherent part of their identity.

Mr Josh Tseng, who is visually impaired, said that people usually notice a person’s disability first and sometimes cannot see past it.

The 28-year-old business owner added: “The vast majority of persons with disabilities just want to lead a normal life, and this is ignored when too much emphasis is placed on their disability.”

Terms used to describe disability should be accurate and precise, he said, and euphemisms like “special” or “differently abled” are confusing and should be avoided.

Ms Jean Loo, Rainbow Centre’s director of advocacy and community engagement, said that language can shape thinking and reflect societal attitudes towards persons with disabilities.

She added: “Inclusion begins with the words and the tone we use, and they can either reinforce stereotypes or reduce stigma.

“The Straits Times’ effort to refresh its reporting terminology is a positive step that aligns with ongoing advocacy by social service agencies, and will help improve public understanding of our community.”

Mr Ho noted that the style guide is a “living document” that provides guidance and not cast in stone.

He added: “Sometimes, given the speed at which the newsroom works, we may fall short and inadvertently not adhere to these guidelines. When that happens, we will aim to correct them where needed.”

ST is always open to listening to its readers and the communities it covers, he said.

“We review and rethink how we go about our work as part of an ongoing process. So please let us know how we can do better.”