Inclusive language

Words matter.

Thoughts on inclusive language in your communications, documentation, and team standards. Using inclusive language is good business and a basic requirement in public service.

Guidelines

Use:

• principles of inclusive language; according to Dr. Suzanne Wertheim, inclusive language:
  • accurately reflects reality
    • The reality of the dominant group isn’t the reality for everyone.
  • allows for different perspectives and experiences
  • doesn’t disrespect or demean someone
  • doesn’t marginalize or exclude someone
  • doesn’t erase people
  • doesn’t make light of painful history or experiences
• people-first language (e.g., person experiencing homelessness, person with a disability)
• consideration and care when:
  • drafting content
  • responding via email or in person
  • making decisions
  • involving others in meetings and discussions

Avoid:

• acronyms (without spelling them out)
• jargon, insider lingo, and idioms (without explaining them)
• ableist phrases
• cultural appropriation
• stereotypes
• microaggressions

Terms

Language evolves. What is considered inclusive language changes over time. Best practices:

• use the principles of inclusive language to determine if something is appropriate
• stay up to date on inclusive language
• ask for feedback; show you care about your impact on others (beyond your good intentions, which can seem selfish or self-serving)

Suggestions

Build team knowledge and inclusivity:

• Make meetings and gatherings a safe place to question and explore the meaning of idioms, words, and phrases. Allow time for this type of discussion on the agenda, especially for new, remote, or distributed teams.

• Make it safe and comfortable for people to bring up words they don’t like (or like), question the meaning of idioms, and discuss alternatives. If you find you start using special or insider words or phrases, build an informal team glossary for new folks or guests.

• Make it normal and acceptable for people to make mistakes, apologize quickly, and move on. Embrace continuous improvement for soft skills (like inclusivity) with the same level of curiosity, frankness, and grace you use for continuous improvement in your work and products.

References

Bias-free communication - Microsoft Style Guide

Accessibility terms - Microsoft Style Guide

Write inclusive documentation - Google developer documentation style guide

Reducing bias in your writing - Write the Docs

Learn about your own biases Project Implicit - implicit.harvard.edu

Strategies to Foster Inclusive Language - LinkedIn Learning (Subscription required)

Words Matter: Why We Should Put an End to “Grandfathering” - Medium - Nancy Riley, HubSpot

The harmful ableist language you unknowingly use - BBC

Ableist words and terms to avoid - Autistic Hoya (Warning: Explicit language, some words not suitable for work (NSFW))

Photo by Parker Johnson on Unsplash