Respectful Language and Inclusion in the Philippines Context

Refer to people first before any diagnosis or support need. This reinforces dignity and avoids reducing identity to a condition.

If unsure what terms to use, ask respectfully and follow the person or family preference. This aligns with our everyday inclusion practices.

In the Philippines, some older terms are still commonly used in casual conversation. Gently redirecting without shaming is usually more effective than correction, especially in group settings.

Inclusive language only matters if behavior follows. Invite participation, listen with patience, and avoid speaking over people.

Communities become more inclusive when words, policies, and daily habits reinforce the same values. Consistent routines that support dignity reinforce respectful communication.

Watch for moments when someone with an intellectual disability is spoken about as if they are not in the room. Redirecting those moments — however small — signals to everyone present that respect is a practice, not just a policy.

In L'Arche, we say core members and assistants. We avoid words like patients, clients, wards, or beneficiaries, because each of those quietly fixes one person as the one who receives and the other as the one who provides.

Naming matters in the other direction too. Our annual calendar credits every drawing to the core member who made it, by name. Attribution is a form of respect that costs nothing and is frequently withheld from people with disabilities.

Some older Tagalog and English terms for disability remain in casual use here, often without any intent to wound. Public shaming rarely changes them. Modelling better language consistently, and offering an alternative in the same breath, tends to work better than correction.

Filipino has its own resources for respect. Address forms like ate and kuya already carry warmth and standing, and using them with adults who have intellectual disabilities — rather than defaulting to diminutives reserved for children — signals adulthood, which is precisely what is most often denied.