TITLES AND IDENTIFICATION

D1 On first reference ALWAYS identify a person's title, class or position. Remember, all students as well as adults need to be identified with a title: sophomore, captain, editor. DO NOT use double identification in sports, such as sophomore center Nancy Smith. (Follow capitalization rules for titles in B1 and B2.)

Principal George Randolf	history teacher Jim Dodge	senior Emily Martin
center Caroline Smith	Captain Jason McDill	President Julie Page

Editor Joan Williams went to a yearbook workshop. Williams learned many....

D2 Always give the first name or initials (if that is what they go by) as well as the last name for persons the first time they appear in a story. (A space should appear between the initials.)

J. T. Doe

Gayle Harrison

Harold Johnston

D3 Forms of address such as Mr., Mrs., Miss or Ms. should NOT be used on second mention of a name. USE THE FULL NAME ON THE FIRST REFERENCE AND LAST NAME ONLY THEREAFTER in both copy and captions.

Principal Don Jones lectured the student body. Jones worked hard to discourage vandalism in the school.

Coach Derek Danforth explained strategy to the team at halftime. Danforth told them....

Debater Louis Thompson won first at nationals. Thompson defeated....

D4 When it is necessary to mention people with the same last names in the same story, distinguish between the two by using full names throughout, unless the type of story calls for first-name treatment, such as a feature story on twins.

D5 Abbreviate only the following titles when they precede a name: Dr., Gov., Lt. Gov., Mr., Mrs., the Rev., Rep., Sen., and military titles. (Refer to AP Stylebook for military titles.)

Gov. Hugh Allstad	Dr. John Crane	Sen. Ted Kennedy
Rep. Peter DeFazio	the Rev. John Smith

DO NOT abbreviate: president, principal, deputy, general manager,secretary-general, secretary, assistant principal, attorney general,treasurer, vice president, vice principal, superintendent,professor.

Superintendent Jason Nichols	professor Karen Bailey
Associate Principal Gary Caufield	secretary Bill Storey

D6 DO NOT abbreviate or capitalize titles that follow names.

Ted Kennedy, senator,

Jim Knott, representative,

(Titles that follow a name should be set off with commas before and after, unless, of course, it is the end of a sentence.)

D7 DO NOT capitalize a business, trade or occupation as a title before a name.

teacher Heidi Moan

jeweler Joe Stone

secretary Kami Marsh

(See more examples in B2 Capitalization section.)

D8 When a title is longer than three words, place it after the name.

John Jones, deputy county health officer, inspected the building.

Jacob Abernathy, assistant to the superintendent in charge of policy, spoke to the faculty.

D9 When identifying people with disabilities, focus on the individual rather than the disability. Try to mention the person first and the disability second, and remember the person is not the condition.

DO SAY:

"People with disabilities."

"A person who has epilepsy."

"A man who has a physical disability."

AVOID:

"The disabled."

"An epileptic."

"A physically disabled man."

D10 Never use words such as victim, suffers from, afflicted by when referring to people who have disabilities.

DO SAY: "John Smith has cerebral palsy."	"A woman with muscular dystrophy."
AVOID: "John Smith is a cerebral palsy victim."	"A woman who is afflicted by muscular dystrophy."

D11 It is better to say "people without disabilities" when referring to people who are not disabled in a story about people with disabilities. DO NOT use the word normal, which implies that those with disabilities are abnormal.

D12 Students with disabilities in the Special Needs Program may be identified as special needs students (since special needs refers to the program) or, better yet, students with special needs. Use the appropriate term designated by your district.

D13 Avoid derogatory labels for people with disabilities.

OFFENSIVE

PREFERRED

handicap	handicapped person			disability	person with disability
deaf and dumb	deaf-mute	the deaf		deaf	hearing disability	hearing impairment
mongoloid				Down's syndrome
the blind				blind person	sight disability	visually impaired
imbecile	feeble minded			mental impairment	mentally disabled
crazy	maniac	insane		emotional disability	emotional impairment
		mentally ill
retard	retarded	retardate
		idiot		developmentally disabled
confined to a wheelchair	wheelchair bound			person who uses a wheelchair