Language moves on incredibly quickly, especially now that we have social media. It’s easy to get confused about what is inclusive language or what words are out of date, offensive or could potentially cause an awkward situation.

If people become anxious about saying something that is viewed as offensive, it can lead them to avoid situations where they think disabled or neurodivergent people might be. Research from Scope suggested that two-thirds of the British public (67%) admit that they feel uncomfortable talking to disabled people. This has to change.

Here are some tips on language and getting it right:

1- Apologise and move on

You will make a mistake, and that’s okay. You won’t always get it right all of the time, but it is how you deal with the mistakes that sets you apart. Everyone is an individual with their preferences in regards to language, and you won’t always know what these are.

Apologising, making a note of it for next time and moving on is the best possible course of action where possible.

It is easy to recognise when someone has good intentions and it’s a mistake. As tempting as it is, don’t keep apologising because this will only make the situation more uncomfortable for everyone involved and may come across as patronising.

Be aware that some words and phrases are seen as highly offensive though.

2 – Ask don’t assume

If you are not sure how someone would like you to refer to their impairment, then just ask them. There may be times when you need to refer to someone’s disability and what reasonable adjustments they may need. Most of the time, you won’t need to refer to it though.

Just take note of what they tell you and remember to use it in future. Also, remember to focus on their access requirements, not their impairment.

3 – Avoid in-jokes or slang 

Sometimes, people who belong to different communities reclaim words that have traditionally been seen as a slur. It can then be used among those who identify as part of the community to tell jokes or show they belong to a particular community.

It’s not okay to use a slang word if you are not part of a particular community, especially if it has been seen as offensive in the past. The general rule here is that if it sounds wrong to you, it probably is!

4 – Be kind to yourself

If you make a mistake then don’t panic. It’s easy to beat ourselves up about making a small mistake and not let it go. Our brains love a reason to keep mulling something potentially awkward over until we are convinced it’s a far bigger social faux pas than we think.

Chances are, the other person hasn’t actually realised that you have made a mistake! If you feel bad about it, talk to the person or accept it as a learning experience and move on.

5 –  Positive words – not suffer

You have no idea if someone is suffering or just going about their day. In certain circumstances, if you do need to say that someone has a particular condition, avoid saying that they suffer from it.

6 – Medical words

In recent years, a lot of neurodivergent people have stopped using medical-sounding terminology to describe their neurodivergence. This is because they feel that it is the way their brain works, not a disorder.

This has led to positive words such as ‘traits’ replacing the clinical-sounding ‘symptoms’ to describe someone’s natural behaviour. Some autistic people prefer the identity first language such as ‘autistic person’ rather than ‘person with autism.’

7 – Accessible toilets

For many people, using the word disabled is a journey.

You may be considered disabled under the Equality Act 2010 (you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do your day-to-day activities) but actually using that word can take a while for some people to accept. Some people may not choose to self identify by using the word disability or disabled at all, which is their choice.

This is one reason why the word ‘accessible’ feels easier for people to use rather than disabled.

Why use inclusive language?

There are so many reasons why you need to take time to get to grips with inclusive language.

  • Inclusive language can help change attitudes
  • Using inclusive language means more people can feel included and part of the team
  • It can promote better communication among team members
  • Being careful with our language means we reduce the risk of isolating or upsetting people
  • Inclusive language can impact how we think of disabled people or colleagues

To read more top tips, visit our Enhance the UK Blog