Disabled, handicapped or invalid??

These are all ways of describing the same sort of thing but from different eras really. Invalid could also apply to someone who was convalescing from a long illness.
the following applies to Britain and probably most other countries.
The only one that is genererally acceptable today is disabled. It is better to say 'a person with a disability' rather than a disabled person, as people w

It´s allright, nona the brit, that´s really what I was looking for...

It´s important to use the language accurately and also not offending people by the way we say things...

Do you think, then, it will be allright if a doctor is explaining to a pacient the following (he´s had an accident and probably he won´t be able to walk anymore):

DOCTOR: (...) but one of your

Hello!

In North American it is not politically correct nor respectful to say handicapped, invalid or disabled anymore. We refer to people with physical challenges. The reason for this is that a person born with a 'disability' does not think of it as such: their's is a normal way of being, not abnormal for them. It is also not proper to say that someone is 'suffering' from a disabili

The proper way to say this is:

".. one of the possibilities is that you may not be able to use one of your legs, or both."

Melodie in Canada

Most of us are facing different physical challenges. How does one solve problems if one cannot refer to them by name?

I know is a tricky subject, but I didn´t know they were almost taboo words...

As David says, things must be named by their own name (that is the main purpouse of words

Handicap is a(n) historical derivitive from 'Cap in Hand'. This conjurors up images of poverty, hopelessness and despair.

Invalid perhaps when something has run out. To label a person as such, suggests a time limit?

Could someone help me with the history of disabled, in particular the last letter. To disable something suggests a present happening, but if it is disabled it seems

That is a misconception. Handicap comes from a bartering game in the 1500's where people would barter goods and a 3rd party referee would decide the monetary value of the items in trade. Loose change would be exchanged as part of the system and this loose change was tossed into a cap placed on the ground. It was called Hand in Cap, later Hand i'Cap, finally, handicap. Handicapping was used by hors

ok - here goes. I was born with a birth defect and use crutches, braces and sometimes wheelchair. Plus I was born long before the Americans With Disabilities Act.

I started as a crippled Mexican-American, a crippled Chicano, a Handicapped Hispanic, a Physically Challenged Hispanic and I guess now I'm am a Disabled Latino.

"Handicapped" replaces the word "crippled". Disabled wa

All this said, what is the preferred term to describe a facility. I'm trying to modify the word "ramp." I want to avoid "handicapped-accessible ramp." Suggestions welcomed.
Ken