Choosing your words with care
Youth-friendly communication involves choosing inclusive, affirming and age-appropriate language.
This means using words that respect young people’s identities, preferences, and experiences, while avoiding language that could be seen as patronising or stigmatising.
It’s also important to be aware of cultural sensitivities and to adapt your language to be inclusive of all backgrounds.
Different words might carry different meanings depending on the life experiences of the individual you’re interacting with.
Helpful resources
For more information about how experience impacts how disabled young people understand different words, you can read a report for the Disability Royal Commission done by JFA Purple Orange.
You can also get some tips and tricks around inclusive language from YERP or do a micro-course developed by the Queensland Government.
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JFA Purple Orange Report
Research Report examining language and vocabulary used by people living with a disability. -
YERP - Using inclusive langauge
How to speak respectively to all people -
Queensland Government - Inclusive Language Microcourse
Learn more about inclusive language through a short 3 part micro-course.
Illustration of a white person with a series of arrows and question marks behind them, indicating confusion
Avoiding infantilisation
Make sure you do not speak or act in a way that infantilises the young person. Infantilisation means treating someone as though they are a child.
Examples of infantilising include speaking in a slow, exaggerated way because you expect a person won’t be able to keep up with your usual speech or addressing a parent or carer instead of the disabled young person.
Illustration by Victoria.
Infantilisation is hurtful and disrespectful.
The language you use can also have a positive or negative impact on the way a disabled young person feels about themselves and their disability.
For more information about this, If you haven’t already worked through it, you can learn more about language usage in the section of this hub on embedding disability pride in your organisation.