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Language Makes a Difference - Use of non-discriminatory languageUnnecessary descriptions
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Use
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Instead of
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Humans, people or individuals
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man
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Chairperson/speaker
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Chairman
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Spokesperson
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Spokesman
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Scientists
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Men of science
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Working hours
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man-hours
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Staff, human resources
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manpower
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Executive, business owner
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businessman
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he/she or they
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he
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him/her or them
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him
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his/her or their
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his
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* Make nouns plural or use the second person 'you' to avoid awkwardness over third person singular pronouns
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Use
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Instead of
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| All officers must do their duties | An officer must do his duty |
| You must record your work hours | An officer must record his work hours |
* All occupations are now open to women and men. To avoid occupational stereotypes we use general descriptions suitable for both sexes
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Use
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Instead of
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| Director of nursing | matron |
| The office assistants/staff | the girls in the office |
Some forms of address can be interpreted as patronising or demeaning. When addressing people always treat them with dignity and respect.
The use of terms such as "love", "dear", "girlie", or "boy" is not appropriate in the workplace. However, you may choose these endearments if you are talking to a child, a close friend, or a family member.
* All forms of address and reference should be neutral and sensitive to equality of roles.
As a general rule use a first name or a neutral title unless the person concerned has indicated a preference for a particular mode of address. Where titles are appropriate use parallel titles. Only use ladies when you use gentlemen.
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Use
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Instead of
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Ms to parallel Mr |
Miss or Mrs |
| Professor Brown or Ms Smith, Secretary | Professor Brown or his secretary, Mary |
| Lecturers and their partners | lecturers and their wives |
| Men and women | men and ladies |
| Husband and wife | man and wife |
* The Australian community contains people who are heterosexual, homosexual and bisexual.
The words gay for men and lesbian for women are the terms most generally accepted within the homosexual community.
* The social and economic profile of our community is made up of people of all ages. We should avoid language that denigrates older people or suggests a lesser status.
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Use
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Instead of
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Older people/person, mature aged |
pensioners, elderly, geriatric |
Always use a capital 'A' when referring to Aboriginal people.
It is now more acceptable to use the terms Aborigines, Aboriginal person or Aboriginal people instead of Aboriginals.
Names that Aboriginal people use to describe themselves as people belonging to a geographical location have become widespread. Acceptable names are 'Koori' for Aborigines living in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, 'Murri' for Queensland and parts of northern New South Wales and 'Nyunga' for Western Australia.
Torres Strait Islanders have a linguistic and cultural identity which is very different to the indigenous peoples of mainland Australia. It is appropriate to refer to these groups as Torres Strait Islanders.
When referring to the two cultural groups together use 'Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people'. The use of 'ATSI people' is not acceptable as it implies there is one distinct "ATSI" cultural identity.
Other acceptable terms when referring to Aboriginal people are:
'A people indigenous to this land'
'Indigenous people of Australia'
'The first Australians' or
'the first people of Australia'
Don't use
Full-blood Aborigines
part Aborigines
half-castes
These terms are considered insulting and inaccurate to Aboriginal people. Avoid using teaching materials which perpetuate historic inaccuracies. Seek guidance from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their communities when preparing historical teaching materials.
People with disabilities are individuals who do not wish to be pitied, feared or ignored. Nor do they see themselves as heroic, courageous, patient or anything special.
Terms such as handicapped, disabled, able-bodied, physically challenged, crippled, differently abled and sufferer should be avoided. Never use the term "normal" when comparing people with disabilities with other members of the community.
The terms 'visual disability' and 'visual impairment' have fallen into disrepute in Australia and should not used. The currently accepted terms for people with low vision are 'vision disability' or 'vision impairment'. The term 'blind' is still the accepted term for people with no vision.
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Use
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Instead of
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| Disability | Handicapped |
| Person with
a disability/ People with disabilities |
Disabled |
| People/person with vision impairment | Visually impaired |
| People who are deaf/person who is deaf | The deaf |
| People who
are hearing impaired/ person with a hearing impairment |
Hearing impaired |
| People with intellectual disabilities | Mentally handicapped |
| People/person with epilepsy | Epileptics |
| People/person with mental illness | Mentally ill |
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Wheelchair user/uses a wheelchair |
Confined to a wheelchair |
| Accessible toilet | Disabled toilet |
| Parking for people with disabilities | Handicapped parking |
| Person with
AIDS/person who or is HIV positive |
Victim of
aids or aids sufferer |
| People who had polio | Polio victim |
| Guide dog/dog guide | Blind dog |
It is generally not appropriate to refer to the ethnic or racial background of a person or group unless there is a valid reason for doing so.
The term "Australian" should not be used in ways that exclude migrant minorities. "Australian" should be used to refer to any Australian citizen, irrespective of the person's ethnic or racial background or country of birth.
If it is necessary to specify the descent or ethnicity of a person or a group the following strategies are recommended:
Use a qualifier in conjunction with the noun for example Vietnamese-born Australian or Arabic speaking Australian or Jewish Australians, or
Use a phrase which refers to a person's background or origin eg Australian of Irish background or Australians of Chilean descent.
It should always be noted that some Australians prefer not to be identified by origin or descent and this preference should always be respected.
Invisibility
Remember that people from non-English backgrounds come from many diverse backgrounds so avoid grouping them together under one term simple because they come from the same region. For example the term "Asian" does not recognise the various Asian ethnicities present in Australia or their various differences.
Macquarie University staff and students are part of a diverse, multicultural society. Promotional and teaching materials such as videos and pamphlets should reflect this. When preparing materials, keep in mind that you are dealing with a range of people. These will include people from different cultures, the aged, people with a disability, and sole parents as well as those within an extended family.
Pictorial material should present people in a balanced and realistic manner. For example, men should not always be portrayed as taller than women. Supervisors can be a range of people, not just white, middle class males. Include people with a disability as members of the workforce. And remember, not all workers who have a disability are wheelchair users.
Particular care should be taken to promote non-discriminatory language in meetings, videos, training courses, public speeches and written or spoken communication with students, staff and members of the public.
With care and thought, we can all help to remove demeaning language from the workplace. In so doing we will create a fairer and more equitable environment for us all.