Language is important and can change over time, and words can have different meanings for different people.
We recognise the diversity of Aboriginal people, communities and culture throughout Victoria. While the terms ‘Koorie’ or ‘Koori’ are commonly used to describe Aboriginal people of southeast Australia, we have used the term ‘Aboriginal’ to include all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who live in Victoria.
We are guided by the preferences of young people on the wording in this strategy, which is why we have chosen to use the term ‘disabled young people’. We know that people have different preferences about how language is used, some people want to be acknowledged with their identity first and other people prefer person-first language. This reflects the different ways people think about their own identity, their experience of disability and its relationship to the community.
The words ‘our’ and ‘we’ in this document refer to the Victorian Government.
We define certain words and phrases on the Definitions page of this strategy.
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