Words Hurt Campaign
We need to talk about the language of disability. Research shows that language is an active and passive barrier in the connection between disabled and non-disabled people.
New research shows that language is an active and passive barrier in the connection between disabled and non-disabled people.
Disability charity Leonard Cheshire have collaborated with South Londoner disabled rapper Kray-Z Legz, to launch a new rap and video titled ‘The Language of Disability’.
Kray-Z Legz, who was born with spina bifida, and has drawn on some of his own experiences as a disabled person living in the UK. He is calling on listeners to actively educate themselves on disability and engage with disabled people.
Get Involved
Raise awareness and join the conversation by using the #WordsHurt on your social media, and share the video to raise awareness on the language of disability. What are your views on the language of disability?
The facts about language and disability
The research which featured disabled and non-disabled respondents highlighted the following:
Amongst disabled respondents:
- Almost 3 in 4 (73%) disabled people say that more needs to be done for non-disabled people to understand that their words cause offence.
- Over 1 in 5 (21%) disabled Brits say they have experienced outdated terms to describe them from non-disabled strangers in a public place.
Amongst non-disabled respondents:
- 2 in 5 (40%) non-disabled people stated that they would be more likely to interact with disabled people if they knew the correct language to use.
- Almost a third (30%) of non-disabled people are worried about saying the wrong thing when talking to disabled people.