Inclusive language - Content - Anatomy

What is inclusive language

Inclusive language acknowledges and respects the diversity of all people, takes into account our differences and history, and promotes equality. Inclusive language does not include offensive or discriminatory words, phrases, or sentiments.

The world and the language we speak changes everyday. It is important to note that the principles of inclusivity are also changing and evolving. Please apply the spirit of these principles and guidelines as the words and practices on this page may change over time.

Ability

Ableist language centers a person’s disability at the expense of their humanity. To avoid this, only mention disabilities when necessary and focus on the person rather than the disability.

Best practices

Always put the individual in focus, never their disability
- Don’t write “a deaf person” or “a blind person” — write “a person who is deaf” or “a person who is blind”
- Please note that this depends on the person’s or community’s preference
Never frame the person as a victim or as at fault for their disability
Avoid assuming ability, especially when writing with vision-related verbs
- For example, “see the schedule”, “view calendar”, “watch interview”
- Use non-ability related verbs, such as explore, learn about, or access

Words to avoid

Crazy, insane, OCD, ADD, lame, bipolar, cripple, sanity check
Afflicted by, suffers from
Disabled people, the handicapped

Age

Ageist language stereotypes individuals based on their age rather than who they are as a person.

Best practices

Don’t include age unless necessary
Use neutral terms such as “older people” or “younger people” instead of “seniors,” “old,” or “the elderly”
Don’t use generational nicknames, such as boomer, millennial, or gen z
Use actual ages and age ranges whenever possible, such as “adults over 50”
Avoid referring to an age group as more or less able or desirable, such as “80 years young” or ”youthful”
Whenever possible and appropriate, just use the person’s actual age or age range

Words to avoid

Seniors, the elderly, old people, old folks, senior citizens, retiree, old and wise
The youth, tweens, 80 years young, youthful

Culture and religion

Boston Scientific is an international company and serves people around the world. Some phrases that work in one context or culture might not in another.

Best practices

Don’t use terms or phrases that have religious meanings or origins
Don’t use language that centers any one religion, belief system, or set of values as the dominant culture
Don’t use language that de-emphasizes a religion or culture
- For example, say “under-represented groups” instead of “minorities”
Use the term “multicultural” to encompass underrepresented populations of varying backgrounds

Words to avoid

Minorities, culture fit, sacred cow, guru, spirit animal, powwow, tribe, Christian name

ESL and reading level

Try to write at a grade five reading level and use the Hemingway app to assess the reading level of your content. A grade five reading level helps readers understand content faster. It also helps readers with cognitive impairments and readers who don’t speak English as a first language.

Make your content easier to read by choosing short sentences and simple words and phrases. Avoid idioms and cultural references which can be challenging to translate.

Best practices

Choose simple, consistent words and phrases
Write in short sentences
Use semantic heading structure

Words to avoid

Idioms, cultural references
Complex words and phrases

Gender and sexual orientation

LGBTQ+ is inclusive of people identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, and beyond.

Best practices

Use gender-neutral terms whenever writing for gender diverse audiences
Only include gender if it is necessary to the content
Only collect gender identification and pronouns if it is necessary
- Provide non-binary options or a write-in option when asking a person to self-identify
  - Always add a “prefer not to identify” option instead of “other”
- When speaking about gender, use “man” or “woman” instead of “male” or “female”
Don’t make assumptions about relationships
- For example, say “partner” or “spouse” instead of “husband” or “wife”
When in doubt, use the singular “they” to refer to a person
Avoid stereotyping LGBTQ+ people
Avoid referring to a person’s pronouns as their “preferred pronouns”
- The inclusion of “preferred” suggests that these aren’t the person’s true pronouns
Don’t assume a person’s biological sex or gender, especially when talking about reproductive health
- A person who identifies or presents as a woman does not necessarily mean that that person has a uterus and ovaries
- Never use any gender-specific iconography, such as the male or female symbol, or any reproductive organ to represent gender

Words to avoid

“Male” and “female” except when referencing biological sex or using in a scientific article or trial
Man- words: “manpower” and “man hours” are two examples
“Opposite sex,” “other” as a gender identity
folx, womxn
Gendered healthcare terms such as “expectant mother,” “fatherhood,” “male patterned baldness,” or “well woman exam”

Race and ethnicity

Race has a narrower meaning and is based on similar physical and biological attributes. Ethnicity has a broader meaning and is based on cultural expression and place of origin.

Best practices

Don't use words that reinforce racial or ethnic stereotypes, even if they appear to be positive stereotypes
Always focus on the person, not their race or ethnicity
When referring to a person’s race or ethnicity, always use an adjective, never use a noun
When referring to a person’s race or ethnicity, be as specific as possible to that person’s identity
- For example, “a Korean person” vs. “an Asian person” or “a man from Guatemala” vs “a Latino man”
Avoid treating white identities as the default
Avoid essentialism — writing about race as a monolith rather than a group of individual people

Terms to use

Black
- Always capitalized when referring to a person’s racial identity
  - For more information on this, please read the Columbia Journalism Review's article “Why we capitalize ‘Black’ (and not ‘white’)”
Hispanic
- This term refers specifically to someone who came from or is descended from a Spanish-language-speaking country, such as Spain
- Either refer to the person’s preferred identity or omit
Indigenous American
- Not Native American or American Indian
Multicultural
- Use to encompass underrepresented populations of varying backgrounds
Latine, Latino, Latina, Latinx
- These terms refer to someone who came from or is descended from someone who came from Latin American countries and cultures, regardless of whether the person speaks Spanish
- Latinx is the gender neutral alternative to Latino and Latina
- Latine was born from a growing movement away from “Latinx” by varied organizations and media outlets.
  - For more information on this, please read this article in Autostraddle “Sex With an X: The Perils of Performative Spelling”
- Either refer to the person’s preferred identity or omit
white
- Always lowercased when referring to a person’s racial identity

Words to avoid

African American, Native American, American Indian, Indians (except when referring to people from India), Caucasian, non-white
Minorities, the Black race, the white race

Socio-economic status

Making assumptions about a person’s or group of people’s socio-economic status can lead to historically classist language and implicit bias.

Best practices

Treat everyone equally
Avoid negative terms based on a person’s place of origin, profession, or economic status
Only include socio-economic information when necessary
- If this is necessary, always center the person, not their socio-economic status

Words to avoid

Homeless or the homeless
Inner city, poverty stricken, disadvantaged, achievement gap

For more information see American Psychological Association’s (APA) Style’s article on socio-economic status.

Feedback

If you have any feedback on the information on this page, please email anatomy.team@bsci.com.