Words matter.
Words have power. The power to perpetuate or dismantle structural racism, to empower or marginalize people and to reinforce a harmful narrative or construct an alternative, more inclusive one.
In its Guidelines for Inclusive Language, the defines inclusive language as that which "acknowledges diversity, conveys respect to all people, is sensitive to differences and promotes equal opportunities.鈥
Inclusive language and approaches are about more than replacing specific words with more acceptable terminology; they are about changing long-held attitudes and habits.
Inclusive language:
- embraces gender-neutral terms
- avoids ableist language
- focuses on people, not disabilities or circumstances
- avoids generalizations about people, regions, cultures and countries
- avoids slang, idioms, metaphors and other words with layers of meaning and negative history