Inclusive language guide

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Discriminatory language

This guide contains language that some people may find offensive.
It is used to show oppressive terms that are not inclusive and must be avoided.

Inclusive language

Inclusive language creates an open and welcoming digital environment for everyone. It promotes respect, diversity, and equity and makes sure that everyone is recognised and respected.

We want to show that we care about our customers and their diversity, so we use inclusive language in all our online communications.

This guidance does not cover everything, but it offers great suggestions for inclusive communication that accurately portrays everyone.

Age

Only refer to age when it's relevant and necessary. Avoid ageist language that makes assumptions or stereotypes. Treat older and younger people with respect and dignity.

Do

only ask for someone's age if it is needed, for example, if someone must be over 18 to access a service
only refer to someone's age if it's relevant

Don't

when collecting data do not use age-related descriptions like 'young' or 'old', instead use specific age ranges, such as '18 to 24' or 'over 65'

Acceptable language when talking about age

Inclusive	Not inclusive
Older person / people	Elderly person / people / OAP / senior citizen / pensioner
Older man / woman	Old man / woman
Young person	Kid / teenager / youth

Use respectful, positive and inclusive language . Avoid using terms that may stereotype or stigmatize people with disabilities. Always treat people as active individuals in control of their own lives.

Do

use person-centred language, for example, 'people with health conditions or impairments' but keep in mind that some people use identity-first language, for example 'I am a disabled person' or 'I am autistic', which should always be respected and never corrected
give users alternative methods of accessing a service and getting support
use clear and accessible language
make sure your content is easy for everyone to understand, regardless of their background or education
make sure your content is accessible to people with disabilities. Use alt text for images, proper heading structure, and captions for videos

Don't

use language that suggests that a person's condition or disability is a barrier, instead focus on removing barriers that they might face
use language that reinforces stereotypes about people with disabilities, such as 'being inspirational', instead use empowering language

Acceptable language when talking about disabilities

Inclusive	Not inclusive
Disabled	(the) disabled / differently abled / people of all abilities / people of determination
People with disabilities	Disabled people
Person with a disability	Disabled person / disabled
Has {name of condition or impairment}	Suffers from / victim of / afflicted by
Wheelchair user	Wheelchair-bound
Learning disability / learning disabilities	Mentally handicapped / mentally defective / special needs
Person with a mental health condition	Mental patient / insane / mad
Deaf, user of British Sign Language (BSL), person with a hearing impairment, non-verbal	Deaf and dumb / deaf mute
People with visual impairments, blind people, blind and partially sighted people	The blind
Person with epilepsy, diabetes, depression or someone who has epilepsy, diabetes, depression	An epileptic / diabetic / depressive
Someone with restricted growth or short stature, someone with Dwarfism	Dwarf / midget
Seizures	Fits / attacks

Sex and gender

Use language that is respectful, inclusive, and affirming of people's identities. Always respect individuals' chosen names and pronouns.

Do

only refer to or ask for a person’s sex or gender if it's absolutely necessary, for example medical in settings, and give a reason for asking
be flexible, ask for both a person’s sex and their gender, to accurately represent them
let people describe themselves using the language they prefer
only ask about a person's sex when it's necessary for biological data, not for identity
provide options other than male and female
allow people to indicate if their assigned sex at birth is different from their current gender
when talking about how someone identifies, use their gender instead of their biological characteristics
use gender neutral terms when referring to people and their relationships

Don't

use language that reinforces harmful stereotypes and assumptions
ask for someone's gender or sex if it's not needed

Acceptable language when talking about sex and gender

Inclusive	Not inclusive
Cisgender	Normal / biological / genetic / real
Man / woman (for cisgender or transgender man or woman)	Transman / transwoman A transgender man is someone who was assigned female at birth and has transitioned to a man A transgender woman is someone who was assigned male at birth and has transitioned to a woman
Transgender	Transgendered
Non-binary	Not male or female
Gender-affirming care	Sex change operation / sex change
Pronouns	Preferred pronouns

Sexual orientation

A person's sexual orientation describes their physical, romantic, and / or emotional attraction to another person. Always be inclusive, and affirming of people's sexual orientation.

Do

only ask about someone's sexual orientation if it is needed
only refer to someone's sexual orientation if it's relevant

Don't

provide a separate form selection for ‘same-sex’ relationships this must be included with ‘spouse, partner or cohabitant’
use language that makes assumptions about a person’s sexuality

Acceptable language when talking about sexual orientation

Inclusive	Not inclusive
Sexual orientation	Sexual preference
Lesbian, gay, queer, heterosexual, bisexual, pansexual, asexual, polysexual	Homosexual

Gender neutral language

Gendered language has a bias towards a particular gender. This type of language is no longer acceptable.

This includes using gender-specific terms like 'businessman' or 'waitress', or using 'he' to refer to everyone.

Do

use gender-neutral terms
if you need to use gender-specific language, use both genders, like 'everyone' instead of 'guys'
be respectful of people's pronouns

Don't

use gendered language, for example 'policeman', 'actress' or 'his / hers'

Acceptable gender neutral language

Inclusive	Not inclusive
Hello / Good morning / Good afternoon / To Whom it May Concern	Dear Sir or Madam
Partner	Boyfriend / girlfriend
Spouse	Husband / wife
Parent	Mum / dad
Child	Son / daughter
Police Officer	Police man / Police woman
Chairperson	Chairman

Ethnicity, nationality and religion

Be aware of cultural and ethnic sensitivities when discussing various ethnic groups. Always use inclusive terms when referring to different ethnic backgrounds.

Use ethnicity where possible, not race.

The term ethnicity can be considered broader than race and more inclusive of cultural and social experience, it typically refers to long-shared cultural experiences, religious practices, traditions, ancestry, language, dialect or national origins.

Race is mainly based on physical attributes or traits and is an unhelpful social construct.

Do

only refer to people’s ethnicity or religion if it’s relevant
ask how people identify themselves
be aware of complexities within ethnic and religious identities
check your language with ethnic diversity in mind
capitalise ethnic groups and nationalities
always think about the different ways people practice religion and their different needs

Don't

group diverse geographical regions together, instead use specific nationalities and ethnic groups when relevant
use acronyms like 'BAME' or 'BME', they don't refer to a singular homogeneous ethnic group
use broad terminology, this can blend diverse communities
use language that's linked to harmful stereotypes and assumptions
use language that excludes those of different faiths

Acceptable language when talking about ethnicity, nationality or religion

Inclusive	Not inclusive
Ethnicity	Race
Ethnic minorities	Bame / BME
People from a mixed ethnic background	Mixed race
Black people / Asian people / People from mixed ethnic backgrounds	Using ethnic terms as nouns
African Caribbean	Afro Caribbean

Designs and imagery

Make your content inclusive, use diverse images, stories, and voices that reflect many people's experiences.

Listen and stay educated

People have different language preferences. Listen to how they identify and respect their choices.

If you're unsure, ask people how they want to be described and use language that makes them feel comfortable and respected.

Keep in mind that using inclusive language is a continuous process. You need to be aware and adapt.

Always be respectful and inclusive to create a better environment for everyone.

Give us your feedback

If you feel there is something missing from this guide or that something needs to be reviewed, email digital@gov.je.

Inclusive language guide

This guide contains language that some people may find offensive.

It is used to show oppressive terms ​that are not inclusive and must be avoided. ​

​Inclusive l​angu​age

Age

Do

​only ask for someone's age if it is needed, for example, if someone must be over 18 to access a service ​​

only refer to someone's age if it's relevant​

Don't

when collecting data do not use age-related descriptions like 'young' or 'old', instead use specific age ranges, such as '18 to 24' or 'over 65'

Acceptable language when talking about age

Disability

Do

use person-centred language, for example, 'people with health conditions or impairments' but keep in mind that some people use identity-first language, for example 'I am a disabled person' or 'I am autistic', which should always be respected and never corrected

give users alternative methods of accessing a service and getting support

use clear and accessible language

make sure your content is easy for everyone to understand, regardless of their background or education

make sure your content is accessible to people with disabilities. Use alt text for images, proper heading structure, and captions for videos​

Don't

use language that suggests that a person's condition or disability is a barrier, instead focus on removing barriers that they might face

use language that reinforces stereotypes about people with disabilities, such as 'being inspirational', instead use empowering language

Sex and gender

Do

only refer to or ask for a person’s sex or gender if it's absolutely necessary, for example medical in settings, and give a reason for asking

be flexible, ask for both a person’s sex and their gender, to accurately represent them

let people describe themselves using the language they prefer

only ask about a person's sex when it's necessary for biological data, not for identity

provide options other than male and female

allow people to indicate if their assigned sex at birth is different from their current gender

when talking about how someone identifies, use their gender instead of their biological characteristics

use gender neutral terms when referring to people and their relationships

Don't

use language that reinforces harmful stereotypes and assumptions

ask for someone's gender or sex if it's not needed

Acceptable language when talking about sex and gender

Sexual orientation

Do

only ask about someone's sexual orientation if it is needed

only refer to someone's sexual orientation if it's relevant

Don't

provide a separate form selection for ‘same-sex’ relationships this must be included with ‘spouse, partner or cohabitant’

use language that makes assumptions about a person’s sexuality

Acceptable language ​when talking about sexual orientation​

​Gender neutral language

Do

use gender-neutral terms​

if you need to use gender-specific language, use both genders, like 'everyone' instead of 'guys'

be respectful of people's pronouns

Don't

use gendered language, for example 'policeman', 'actress' or 'his / hers'

Acceptable gender neutral language

Ethnicity, nationality and religion

Do

only refer to people’s ethnicity or religion if it’s relevant

ask how people identify themselves

be aware of complexities within ethnic and religious identities

check your language with ethnic diversity in mind

capitalise ethnic groups and nationalities

always think about the different ways people practice religion and their different needs

Don't

group diverse geographical regions together, instead use specific nationalities and ethnic groups when relevant

use acronyms like 'BAME' or 'BME', they don't refer to a singular homogeneous ethnic group

use broad terminology, this can blend diverse communities

use language that's linked to harmful stereotypes and assumptions

use language that excludes those of different faiths

Acceptable language when talking about ​ethnicity, nationality or religion

Designs and imagery​

Listen and stay educated

Give us you​r feedback

It is used to show oppressive terms that are not inclusive and must be avoided.

Inclusive language

only ask for someone's age if it is needed, for example, if someone must be over 18 to access a service

only refer to someone's age if it's relevant

make sure your content is accessible to people with disabilities. Use alt text for images, proper heading structure, and captions for videos

Acceptable language when talking about sexual orientation

Gender neutral language

use gender-neutral terms

Acceptable language when talking about ethnicity, nationality or religion

Designs and imagery

Give us your feedback