11/04/2026
Every day, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities hear words about themselves — in meetings, at the doctor's office, at work, in line at the store. Some of those words open doors. Others quietly close them.
Starting today, and every Wednesday through the end of the year, Networks is sharing Words That Welcome / Words That Wall Off: a series about the language we use when we talk about, support, and spend time with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
This isn't a list of forbidden words, and it isn't about catching anyone getting it wrong.
It's about noticing.
Our words shape what we expect from people — and what we expect shapes the chances they get.
Follow along, share it with your team, and tell us in the comments: what's a word or phrase you've stopped using, and why?
