Inclusive writing

Treat all people equally, regardless of gender, background, interests or abilities. Balance the occurrence of genders, cultures and backgrounds of participants as appropriate.

Use inclusive terms. For example, police officer not policeman, fire-fighter not fireman, given name/family name not Christian name/surname.

Use non-gender specific language. For example, use 'they' rather than him/her. This also avoids clumsy inclusive writing such as him/her, s/he.

Rewrite the sentence to use the second person. This not only encourages gender neutrality, it makes your writing more active and interesting to the reader.
For example, 'you can use your time for professional development' rather than 'a teacher can use his or her time'.

If you use he or she in examples, stories or case studies, check both male and female examples are equally represented in both text and images.

Avoid using irrelevant distinctions. For example, male secretary, blonde driver, Asian doctor, elderly artist, deaf systems analyst.

Avoid using stereotypes, especially in images. For example, middle-class nuclear families, boys playing with trucks and girls with dolls.

Avoid using the word 'man' in a generic sense. For example, use human evolution not the evolution of man, ordinary person not man in the street.

Avoid using the term 'ethnic' to describe people of non-Anglo-Saxon background.

Be careful not to exclude people through invisibility. In visual presentations, avoid making everyone look the same or as if they come from the same background.

Be careful not to make assumptions. For example, use 'managers and their partners' not 'managers and their wives'.

For more specific information on communicating with or about people with a disability please refer to the Disability Services website at Better communication.