Learning Connection
In the following sections you will find guidelines on using inclusive language as well as some examples of inappropriate and appropriate terms. This section is not exhaustive and language is a dynamic and always changing entity; however by understanding the principles below you will be able to apply them to other situations.
Viewing all older people as frail, dependent, no longer productive and inactive is inappropriate and fails to fully appreciate the varying traits and capabilities of individual older people. Similarly viewing young people as incompetent, immature, or rebellious has equally negative consequences. Reference to age is often unnecessary. Consider the individual person rather than the age bracket they happen to fall into.
Appropriate Terms |
Inappropriate Alternative |
|
| Older people | The old | |
| Senior(s), senior citizen(s) | The aged | |
| A young person, younger people | Inexperienced youth | |
| Young people | Juveniles |
Avoid labelling people who have a disability in a derogatory manner.
Appropriate |
Inappropriate |
|
| Person with a hearing and speech disability | Deaf and Dumb | |
| Person with Down's Syndrome | Retarded | |
| Person with cerebral palsy | Spastic | |
| Person with a mental illness | Crazy or Insane People |
People with a disability are not their disability. Using terms that depersonalise the individual must be avoided. Use 'a person with a disability' or 'persons with a disability' instead - make the disability secondary to the individual.
If it is necessary to be specific about the disability, then use the following.
Appropriate |
Inappropriate |
|
| People who are blind | The blind | |
| A person with epilepsy | An epileptic | |
| A person with schizophrenia | A schizophrenic | |
| People who have a hearing impairment
The Deaf or Deaf people - people who are Deaf, particularly those who
use Auslan, often see themselves as part of a social or cultural group
sharing a language and other aspects that make up the culture, and
prefer the letter 'd' capitalised as is done with the words Australian,
English etc. |
The deaf | |
| Access toilet, Access Car Park, or use this sign | Disabled toilets or disabled car park |
People with a disability are often viewed as helpless, suffering, and in need of sympathy and attention from people who do not have a disability. Sometimes people with a disability are feared, pitied or ignored. These types of attitudes contribute to the discrimination faced by many people with a disability.
Portraying people with a disability in a positive way simply requires that all of the qualities, strengths and weaknesses of the individual are observed, with the disability seen as one part of the whole person.
Appropriate |
Inappropriate |
|
| A person who has depression | Victim or sufferer of depression | |
| Wheelchair user or uses a wheelchair | Wheelchair bound, confined to a wheelchair | |
| Person without a disability | Able-bodied |
Be consistent between men and women when using titles and modes of address. It is especially important in an academic environment to ensure that people’s qualifications are accurately reflected in their titles.
Appropriate |
Inappropriate |
|
|
Prime Minister Howard and Prime Minister Clark
|
Prime Minister Howard and Helen Clark | |
|
The paintings of Preston and Heysen |
The painting of Margaret Preston and Heysen | |
|
Dr Einstein and Dr Mead
|
Albert Einstein and Mrs Mead |
It seems common practice to put men before women, as in “Sir or Madam”, “his and hers”, or “him and her”. Try mixing it up and having women preceding men instead.
Ensure the language you use does not trivialise or patronise either men or women. Both women and men need to be treated with the same dignity and respect.
Appropriate |
Inappropriate |
|
|
The secretary/office assistants/women in the office |
The girls in the office | |
|
The men/mechanics in the workshop
|
The boys out back |
|
|
Women |
Sheilas, birds, chicks |
|
|
Ensure like terms are used for women and men, such as: Girls and boys The terms above have different connotations in terms of power, so using "Men and girls" to refer to men and women in the same situation suggests men have more power than women. |
Ladies and Men
|
Don't use assumptions based on sex-role stereotyping.
Appropriate |
Inappropriate |
|
| Staff have families to support | Staff have wives and children to support | |
| A manager must know their own strengths and weaknesses | A manager must have a good sense of himself |
Traits are the same whether applied to men or women. Be careful not to change the way a certain trait is described based on gender.
Appropriate |
Inappropriate |
|
| Strong women and men; domineering women and men | Strong men and domineering women | |
| Assertive men and women; domineering men and women | Assertive men and aggressive women | |
| Hysterical men and women; angry men and women | Hysterical women and angry men | |
| Her behaviour was...(specify the behaviour) | Her behaviour was typically female | |
| Did you look carefully? | Did you have a boy look or a proper look? | |
| His behaviour was...(specify the behaviour) | Typical men! |
As a term
Appropriate |
Inappropriate |
|
| Humans, human beings, humankind, man and woman, women and men | Man | |
| Humanity, human beings, the human race, people | Mankind | |
| The best person/candidate for the job | The best man for the job | |
| Workforce, personnel, staff, human resources | Manpower | |
| Supervisor | Foreman | |
| Scientists | Men of science |
Appropriate |
Inappropriate |
|
| To staff the front desk | To man the front desk | |
| You can answer the phones | You can man the phones |
Appropriate |
Inappropriate |
|
| Students have the right to appeal their final grades | A student has the right to appeal his final grade | |
| Lecturers must ensure their course material is accurate | A lecturer must ensure his course description is accurate |
Avoid using titles that depict an occupation as gender exclusive.
Appropriate |
Inappropriate |
|
| Chairperson, chair, convenor | Chairman | |
| Principal | Headmaster, headmistress | |
| Business person, business executive, entrepreneur | Businessman | |
| Fire fighter/police officer | Fireman/policeman |
It is unnecessary to use suffixes for occupations that define whether the person is female or not.
Appropriate |
Inappropriate |
|
| Actor | Actress | |
| Author | Authoress | |
| Waiter | Waitress | |
| Flight attendant | Air hostess |
Some so-called compliments have an underlying negative assumption about the capabilities and expectations of men and women. Some examples are:
‘You manage the team like a man.’
‘You’re very family orientated for a career woman.’
‘Isn’t he great for picking up the kids from school?’
A good strategy is to see if you would use the ‘compliment’ on a person of the alternate gender. For example, you would be unlikely to say to a man that he manages a team like a woman.
Do not use:
People of the Torres Strait Islands have a separate linguistic and cultural identity, and it is important that this is recognised. The appropriate term is Torres Strait Islander.
The following are some of the terms Indigenous people use to refer to themselves:
Anangu- Used by people in northwest South Australia
Koori/Koorie- Used by people in southern Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania
Murri- Used by people in Queensland
Nunga- Used by people in southern South Australia
Nyungar/Nyoongar- Used by people in southern Western Australia
Yolngu- Used by people in the Northern Territory
Care must be taken when using these terms as it is not appropriate and may be offensive to use a term incorrectly for a person or group. If you are unsure, ask the person or group which title they prefer.
Some words and cultural practices have been taken on by English language, often in a negative and/or inaccurate way. Some common examples are ‘lubra’ and ‘walkabout’. These should be avoided.
Any reference to Aboriginal beliefs being ‘magic’, ‘sorcery’ or ‘superstition’ should be avoided, as these give the connotation that Aboriginal creation and religious beliefs are not valid.
It is also important not to use expressions that make invisible the history, presence and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia, such as in the statement ‘when Australia was found in 1788.’
Do not mention the cultural or ethnic background of a person or group unless it is necessary. Unfortunately many news headlines and reports will distinguish a person if they are, for example, from a Vietnamese, Greek or other background, but will not do the same generally if a person is of Anglo-Celtic background.
Certain traits are sometimes inaccurately associated with all members of a culture or ethnic group. Some examples include ‘whinging Poms’, all ‘black people’ are fast runners, or all Americans are loud. Women from minority groups have additional stereotypes that they may be labelled with, for example, viewing all Chinese women as submissive.
Stereotypes strip away an individual’s own characteristics and traits, and must be avoided. Invisibility
Some cultural groups and ethnicities can become invisible, for example the various Asian ethnicities within Australia are often lumped together under the term ‘Asian’. This discounts the diversity within the various ethnicities and therefore these ethnicities become invisible.
Using terms that are derogatory toward anyone is unacceptable. This includes toward people from various cultural or ethnic backgrounds. Any term that defines an individual as ‘other’ should be avoided.
Always use ‘Australian’ for any Australian citizen regardless of their cultural or ethnic background. If it is important to specify the cultural or ethnic background of a person, then use the following strategies:
Ensure the language you use to refer to people’s sexuality is accurate and appropriate. Sometimes groups of people use terms for themselves that are otherwise viewed as derogatory and should not be used by people outside of the group; for example, Lesbian women may refer to themselves as Dykes, but would not appreciate heterosexual women or men using the term.
Alternative |
Inappropriate |
|
| The most commonly known terms are gay, lesbian and
bisexual. Other terms identified by service providers in South Australia include:
|
Dyke, fag, fairy |
Use language that incorporates a range of relationship possibilities. Assuming that all couples are composed of a husband and a wife renders invisible many people of other sexual identities, as well as people living in defacto relationships.
Use ‘partner’ instead of ‘husband’ or ‘wife’ if you do not know the sexual identity or marital status of the people you are speaking to.
Avoid putting attributes, whether positive or negative, on all individuals within a group. Individuals within all groups have varying interests and capabilities. Placing limitations or expectations on individuals because they belong to a certain group is damaging and discriminatory.
