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Many disability organizations have produced sets of guidelines for avoiding demeaning and sensationalized words and phrases when writing about people with disabilities. The fact that so many groups see this as an area for concern should alert journalists to the fact that the way they use words does matter. Two simple rules should be kept in mind when writing stories about people who have disabilities: The term "physically challenged" is particularly problematic, according to this article from the archives of The Disability Rag: http://www.raggededgemagazine.com/archive/challenge.htm
1. Avoid cliches and cliched constructions.
A useful set of guidelines is available from The Advocado Press. It can be found online at http://www.raggededgemagazine.com/mediacircus/styleguide.htm
2. Use "value-neutral" terms and constructions. Don't interject your admiration -- or pity -- into your story.