Instead of saying:

Use:

Afflicted with...; stricken with...; a victim of...; suffers from...

Has AIDS/Had a stroke

Confined to a wheelchair; wheelchair-bound

Uses a wheelchair/Has a wheelchair

Disabled/handicapped/crippled

Person with a disability/has a disability/people with disabilities

Normal; healthy; able-bodied

People without disabilities

The mentally retarded

People who have mental retardation (MR)

The blind; the deaf; deaf-mute; deaf and dumb

Person with a visual/hearing/speech impairment

Patient

Use only when a person is being seen or treated by medical personnel