This morning, an article from Le Journal du Dimanche appeared in my newsfeed, noting that the professional integration of people living with disabilities in France remains very slow. And while the intention behind the article is commendable, it still relies on the word handicapé, a term that is deeply stigmatizing and that has fallen out of favor in the United States as well as in several other EU countries. It reduces a person to a single characteristic instead of recognizing their whole identity.
This issue calls for a political and cultural shift toward redefining how we refer to people in non-stigmatizing ways. France could learn from its American and Italian counterparts. In Italy, people with disabilities are referred to as "diversamente abili", meaning “differently abled,” a phrase that acknowledges their different strengths and contributions to society.
In the United States, the term “handicapped” has been abandoned for years. We now use “disabled” or “person living with a disability,” or "impairment" terminology that places the individual at the center rather than the limitation.
Despite this, France remains anchored in outdated and often offensive language, particularly within the educational system and administrative vocabulary. And when the words taught to children already carry stigma, it becomes much more challenging to build a culture of inclusion later on.
The hope is that moving forward, France will reconsider its linguistic approach to disability and adopt terminology that reflects respect, dignity, and modern understanding. Updating vocabulary is not just a matter of semantics. It is a necessary step toward true inclusion.
