§ 43-3-7.1 - Use of appropriate disability language. - Rhode Island Statutes

SECTION 43-3-7.1

   § 43-3-7.1  Use of appropriate disabilitylanguage. – (a) Whenever the terms "the handicapped", "handicap person", or "handicappedperson" are used in the general laws, they shall be replaced with the words"persons with disabilities" or "person with a disability," inclusive, andwhenever the term "handicap" is used in the general laws, it shall be replacedwith the word "disability"; provided that this section shall not be appliedretroactively but shall only be applied prospectively.

   (b) Whenever an act, resolution, statute, regulation,guideline, directive, or other document of a governmental entity refers topeople with disabilities, terms that stigmatize, like "the handicapped", "thedisabled", "the blind", "the deaf", "cerebral palsied", "paralytic","epileptic", "confined to a wheelchair", "wheelchair bound", "lunatic","idiot", "defective", "deformed", "victim", "suffers from", etc., shall not beused. Language that puts the "person first", rather than the impairment orassistive device, such as "person with a disability", "child who has mentalillness", "worker who is deaf", "voter who uses a wheelchair", shall be used.