datelines

In all cases, it is the city, followed by state or territory abbreviation (domestic), or the country (international). A space then em-dash then another space separates the dateline from the copy.

Examples:

• Springfield, Ill. — A seven-car pileup brought traffic to a halt today.
• San Juan, P.R. — An early-morning earthquake rocked the Puerto Rico capital today.
• Belgrade, Serbia — Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo boiled over last night.
• New York, N.Y. — A rare earthquake shoot the Big Apple Friday.

OAJ recommends not using stand-alone city names, also known as magic cities, to avoid confusion. Instead, always use a state or territory with the city for domestic cities and the country for international cities.

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deadname

A name, typically given at birth, that a transperson no longer uses.

As a policy, OAJ recommends not using deadnames without the express permission of the person themselves. Consult the Trans Journalist Stylebook for more information and resources.

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deaf, hard of hearing

Per the National Association of the Deaf, the terms deaf and hard of hearing are acceptable. Do not use deaf-mute, deaf and dumb, and hearing impaired.

When referring to the Deaf Community, Deaf Culture, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community, or American Deaf Culture, for example, capitalization is used. Otherwise, deaf and hard of hearing are left lower case.

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deafblind

A condition in which a person is both blind or has low vision and is deaf or hard of hearing. Deafblind is written as one word, no hyphen, to show the condition is distinct.

It is important to note that many people who are deafblind do not consider them disabled and consider deafblindness to be a chronic condition. For that reason, write people who are deafblind rather than deafblind people.

Deafblindness can occur for a variety of reasons, including congenital conditions and prenatal conditions. More than 70 known causes have been identified according to the National Center on Deafblindness.

An estimated 40,000 people in the United States live with deafblindness — about 10,000 of them children.

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defamation

Written or spoken untrue statements about another person. The law guiding defamation falls under an area known as tort law. Laws can vary from state to state, but generally follow a division along the lines of slander (spoken) and written (libel) and with different standards for public and private figures. While private figure plaintiffs must generally show that the defendant was negligent when defaming the plaintiff, public figure plaintiffs must generally show that the defendant acted with actual malice, knowing that the statements were false or had reckless disregard for the truth.

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dis-, dys-

Although these prefixes are homonyms, they are not interchangeable.

The etymology of the prefix dis- comes from Latin, with an original meaning of apart. It’s root word, dwis, is related to duo and to bis, with a meaning of two ways. Today, the prefix dis- means opposite or opposite of.

The etymology of dys- comes from Ancient Greek, with an original meaning of bad, evil, ill. Today, the prefix  dys- means bad, ill; hard, difficult; or abnormal, imperfect.

Do not hyphenate after the prefix in most cases. For hyphenation rules, see hyphen.

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disability

OAJ suggests using the following definition of the disability, based loosely on a reading of the WHO and ADA:

Disability is a lived experience and identity that comes from a from a physical, mental, neurological or behavioral condition, or a history or record of having such a condition, or a person who is perceived by self or others as having such a condition. It results from an interaction of health, environment and/or personal facts (such as illness, genetic conditions, trauma, etc.). It is part of being human and is integral to the human experience.

However, disability is defined in multiple ways.

A dictionary definition of the word disability is:

A noun.

1. The condition of being disabled; incapacity. The period of such a condition.
2. A disadvantage or deficiency, especially a physical or mental impairment that interferes with or prevents achievement in a particular area.

For many people, disability is a lived experience.

It is also a legal term. In the U.S., disability is defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act (IDEA) and by Social Security for the purposes of Social Security Disability and Social Security Insurance. For the most part, the U.S. government uses the ADA definition of disability as a standard across agencies. This definition is: individual with a disability is defined by the ADA as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment. The ADA does not specifically name all types of disabilities.

The World Health Organization describes disability as “part of being human and integral to the human experience,” and a result of the interaction between health, environmental, and personal factors.

Doctors, psychologists and other health care professions have often examined disability through models, including but not limited to:

• social model
• moral model
• medical model

As disability activists continue to lead discussions, some have proposed examining disability through ableism or implicit bias, while others have proposed examining it through accessibility. Because of this, new models of disability continue to be proposed and defined.

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Disability Justice movement

A movement, practice, and framework that centers intersectionality and includes interdependence, differences in disability, differences in identity, connections with other justice movements to overcome ableism and other oppression.

The term was first used in 2005 by disabled queer activists of color including Patty Berne of Sins Invalid, Mia Mingus, and Stacy Milbern. It was a push-back on the disability rights movement with criticism that it focused too much on independence of disabled people and capitalism and was built in white supremacy and gender-oppression, which, like ableism, describes bodies as deviant, unproductive, and invalid.

For more information, see the curriculum at Project LETS and see the resource library at Disability & Philanthropy Forum.

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Disability Rights movement

A movement to prevent discrimination against disabled people to provide equality for disabled people within and by a legal framework. The movement focuses on the individual rights of disabled people as civil rights, with a focus on independence, freedom, and equity.

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