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At UMass Amherst, we are committed to using inclusive language that conveys respect to all people, is sensitive to differences, and promotes equal opportunities. The following suggestions for writing and talking about diverse groups of people are primarily taken from the APA (American Psychological Association) Inclusive Language Guide.

It is advisable to ask your story’s subject what their preference is for personal descriptors, such as pronouns, particularly if it is relevant to the story and its context. When it is not feasible to ask a subject, we recommend the following guidelines for commonly used words and phrases:

ability and disability

If a person’s situation, medical condition, illness, or injury is relevant to the content, be as specific as possible and avoid inserting value judgments about their circumstance. For example:

  • Use has multiple sclerosis, not "is afflicted with" or "suffers from." Use person-first phrasing, such as person who is disabled or disabled person, wheelchair user or person who uses a wheelchair. Avoid describing people as "disabled," "handicapped," "wheelchair-bound," or "confined to a wheelchair."
  • Avoid terms that contribute to stigmas around disability or mental illness, such as "crazy," "dumb," "lame," "schizophrenic," or "stupid."
  • Avoid terms that contribute to stigmas around sensory disabilities, such as "blind spot" or "tone deaf."

age

Avoid referring to someone’s age unless age is relevant to what you’re writing about. Use older person rather than "senior" or "elderly."

blind people and people who are visually impaired

Only use the term blind when the person has complete loss of sight and the term legally blind when the person has almost complete loss of sight.

  • Use blind person, person who is blind, and person with low vision, instead of “person with blindness” or “visually challenged person.”
  • While visually impaired is generally accepted, some people object to it; check the individual’s preference.

Deaf and hard-of-hearing

Many people in the Deaf community prefer the use of a lowercase “d” to refer to the audiological status and the use of a capital “D” when referring to the culture and community of Deaf people.

  • Use Deaf person instead of “person who is deaf.”
  • Use hard-of-hearing person, person who is hard-of-hearing, or person with hearing loss instead of “hearing-impaired person” or “person who is hearing impaired.”

Deaf-Blind

Used to describe a Deaf person with low vision. Some individuals prefer to use Deaf+. If pertinent to the story, check the individual’s preference.

gender and sexuality

Make content gender neutral wherever possible.

When writing about a hypothetical person or if you are unsure of the person’s pronouns, use they or them, or the student, instead of he/she. When they is used in the singular, it takes a plural verb. Example:

  • When asked what their favorite food is, Taylor said they enjoy pizza with anchovies. (Use singular, gender-fluid pronoun they with plural verb “enjoy” rather than “they enjoys.”)

Use descriptors of gender identity or sexual orientation as modifiers, not as nouns. For example, say trans studentcisgender professor, or lesbian woman.

Use different sex instead of "opposite sex."

When specific info is not available and general language is needed, use spouse or partner instead of "husband" and "wife;" use parent instead of "mother" and "father." Use your student instead of "your daughter" or "your son."

Use trans instead of "transgender" or "transsexual." For instance, use trans woman/trans man instead of "transgender woman/transgender man" or "transsexual woman/transsexual man."

If no specific information, use nonbinary as a general term for individuals who do not identify as female or male.

LGBTQ, LGBTQ+ are acceptable in all references for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning and/or queer. Other forms, such as LGBTQIA, are also acceptable with the other letters in the initialism explained. I generally stands for intersex; A can stand for asexual (a person who does not experience sexual attraction).

Note that sex, gender, and sexual orientation are not synonymous.

Other trans-related language:

  • assigned male at birth/assigned female at birth ... not “born male/female,” “biologically male/female,” or “genetically male/female"
  • chosen name, personal pronoun, or the name and pronouns someone uses for themselves ... not “preferred name” or “preferred pronouns”
  • gender-inclusive as a descriptor of, for instance, housing, restrooms ... not “gender-neutral”
  • gender-affirming surgery ... not “sex change” or “sex reassignment surgery”

Use lesbian, gay, and bisexual people rather than "sexual minorities."

Use gay man rather than "homosexual man."

Use same-sex sexuality rather than "homosexuality."

Use alumni when referring to a two or more graduates of more than one gender.

immigration

When referring to someone who has not completed their new country’s immigration process, use undocumented person. Use undocumented worker for a person who is currently working in their new country without required immigration documentation. Avoid now pejorative terms such as “illegal alien” or “illegal immigrant.” (The word “illegal” is used only to describe an action, not a person.)

Use the word immigrant rather than “expat” or “expatriate.”

Do not specify a person’s immigration status unless it is relevant to the story and approved by the source. 

usage of verbs immigrate and emigrate:

Immigrate means to enter a country; emigrate means to leave a country. Both describe the permanent relocation of a person to a new country. Examples:

  • immigrate“I immigrated to Canada after I graduated from college.”
  • emigrate“The flooding in the country’s rural regions has forced the farmers to emigrate from their land.”

intellectual disabilities/intellectually disabled

Both terms are acceptable, although many people prefer people-first language, stating that someone is “a person with an intellectual disability” rather than referring to the person as intellectually disabled. Avoid terms that are condescending or patronizing.

  • Avoid phrases such as “special needs,” “differently abled,” “mentally challenged,” “mentally retarded,” “handicapped,” and “suffering with…” Instead, opt for terms like person with a disabilityperson with intellectual disabilities, and disabled person.
  • Try to use the name of the disability when possible. For example, the terms intellectual disability and developmentally disabled are acceptable when used in a people-first context to describe someone with Down syndrome, such as the person has a developmental disability. However, it is more accurate to refer specifically to Down syndrome when that is the medically diagnosed condition.
  • Use person with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) rather than “brain damaged.”
  • Use learning disability when you’re confident there is a medical diagnosis. If a medical diagnosis is not available, use quotes around the term and indicate that a diagnosis has not been confirmed. Do not substitute with “slow learner” or another derogatory term like “retarded.”
  • Avoid using “special” or “special needs” when describing a person with a disability, or the programs designed to serve them, except for government references or formal names of organizations and programs (e.g. Special Olympics). The term functional needs is preferred when a term is required (e.g., “addressing the functional needs of people with disabilities” may be used when referring to a facility or program.)

neurodiversity (within a group)/neurodivergent (individual)

  • neurodivergent is used to describe someone whose neurology differs from the neurological “majority” (sometimes called “neurotypical”); these differences include, but are not limited to, autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (commonly known as ADHD), dyslexia, and dyspraxia.
  • The autistic community often prefers identity-first language. Ask individuals how they prefer to be described: Many prefer to be described as autistic, while others prefer an autistic person or a person with autism.
  • Use nonspeaking instead of “nonverbal.”
  • Use attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder on first reference if referring to a diagnosis; ADHD is acceptable on second reference. Some people with ADHD prefer to say they “have” the condition; others prefer to say they “are” ADHD. Ask the individual their preference if pertinent to the story.

For more information on neurodivergent language use, visit Neurodiverse Connection.

race, ethnicity, and religion

Don’t make assumptions; ask how people identify themselves, and be aware of complexities within racial, ethnic, and religious identities. Terms such as Latino/a, Latinx, Latine, and Hispanic are descriptors of ethnicity, not race—in fact, a person’s ethnic identity can include any race.

Rather than the general term “minorities,” which can be inaccurate, use historically underrepresented groups, underrepresented populations, or people of color.

Avoid using words, images, or situations that reinforce racial, ethnic, or religious stereotypes. Avoid the term non-white, or other terms that treat "whiteness" as a default.

Capitalize Black in a racial, ethnic, or cultural sense. Do not capitalize white. Use Black and white only when clearly relevant. When using brown as a racial descriptive, do not capitalize.

When referring to a person’s race or ethnicity, aim for specificity and use adjectives, not nouns. For example, refer to a Korean student rather than "an Asian."

Capitalize Indigenous in reference to original inhabitants of a place.

The acronym BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous, and people of color. Use sparingly.

Use Native American, not "American Indian." If possible, ask the person you’re writing about if they prefer using a specific Tribal Nation when describing their identity.

Do not hyphenate biracial, multiracial, or dual heritage.

Do not hyphenate antisemitic. Use lowercase.

Latino(s), Latina(s), Latine, and Latinx are all acceptable. Latine is used when referring to a group of people of multiple genders or for someone identifying as nonbinary, gender fluid, genderqueer, bigender, agender, and gender nonconforming. Latinx is a gender-neutral term used as a substitute for Latina or Latino. If possible, ask how people identify themselves. In instances where the subject identifies as nonbinary, either Latine or Latinx may be used.

Islamophobia is capitalized.

Use international students instead of "foreign students."

Do not use hyphens when designating dual heritage: African American, Asian American, Mexican American. However, note these UMass Amherst exceptions:

  • Afro-American Studies
  • The W. E. B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies

socioeconomic status—people and locations

  • Refer to countries that tend to have less economic power and wealth as majority world nations or low-income countries. Avoid using words like “third world” or “developing” countries.
  • Many people find the terms “low-class” and “poor” pejorative. Conversely, class solidarity exists in “poor people’s movements” and many individuals proudly identify as working class. Define specific income brackets and levels if possible (e.g., “low income”).
  • Use low-income neighborhood or low-income area rather than outdated terms such as “the ghetto” or “inner-city.” Avoid the term “bad neighborhood” when referring to an area with a high crime rate.
  • Try to use people-first language when describing people who have low incomes, such as people whose incomes are below the federal poverty threshold. Avoid using the words “disadvantaged,” “underprivileged,” “disenfranchised,” and “impoverished,” or grouping people with the word “the” as in “the indigent.” Instead, use terms such as under-resourced and underserved.

For more information on inclusive language, visit: