- [Instructor] Now we're gonna talk about how to use inclusive language effectively. On this slide, we're gonna talk about the differences between using person-first language or identity-first language. We're gonna go into the definitions, as well as some examples of how to use each, and then examples of how not to use them. Person-first language is when a person is emphasized, not the disability or the chronic condition that they may have. The statement should normally start with or have the word person. Identity-first language, on the other hand, the disability becomes the focus, which allows the individuals to claim the disability or the chronic condition, and choose their identity rather than permitting others to name it, or to select terms with negative implications. Let's go through some examples. Person-first, you have, I am a person with a disability, but if you wanted to change that as identity-first, it would be, I am disabled. How not to say this is, the disabled. Here's another example. Person-first, a person with autism. Identity-first is, I am autistic. And how not to say this is, developmentally disabled. The world is changing rapidly around us, and sometimes change can be uncomfortable, but sometimes it can also be done for the betterment of all. Gender-neutral language is a best practice. When possible, try to take the gender out of statements. Here's a list of what terms used to be acceptable, and some better terms to use. Instead of saying fireman, you'll probably wanna say firefighter. Policeman changes into police officer. Salesman is salesperson or sales associate. Mailman is mail carrier. Man and wife is now spouse or partner. Chairman is now chair. Manpower is now staffing or capacity. Let's think about this example. Perhaps you enter a room with men and women present, and you say, Hey, guys. Although your intention was to be nice, essentially, you omitted the women in the room, and it can be perceived that you spoke to only the men. Alternatives to Hey, guys could be something that you all know me for saying, Hey, team, or you could say, Hey, all, Hey, folks, Hey, or Hey, everyone. Being neutral is a better place to be. We're all familiar that nouns are used to describe people, places, and things. However, sometimes the words that we use in order to describe people, places, and things may not be the best term, or can be slightly offensive. Here are some examples. The term minority. Instead of using that, let's think about using a term like underserved or underrepresented. Instead of putting hyphenations in between Irish-American, African-American, Japanese-American, try taking out the hyphenation, and just saying Irish American, African American, or Japanese American. Instead of using that word called illegal, or immigrants, or aliens, use the term undocumented. Instead of saying homosexual, use the term LGBTQIA+. Terms like minority, or having the hyphenations, or saying illegal immigrants and aliens have a negative tone to them, and most of them were rooted in racism. English is my primary language, and I have a hard time finding the right words to express myself. Why? Because the English language can be complex, and it can be challenging, even more so for those who have to translate it into other forms of communication or languages. So prior to working with a service provider to do American Sign Language, known as ASL interpretation or translation, we need to take a moment, take a step back, and just ask them one question. Do you have experience using inclusive language or gender-neutral terms in your work? Here's the thing. Knowing how to sign gender-neutral is actually new, and you have to practice that, or knowing how to translate gender-neutral documents into another language without losing the context in which it was used, that's a hard task to do. So at minimum, we wanna ensure that we're asking that question, and that they have at least two years of experience. Why two years? Because that's when the world really started paying attention. More people than not are trying to be better at being more inclusive, and this is the start. So just take a moment the next time that you need to use any of these services, and ask them that one question. I really hope that they say two years. There are so many rules surrounding inclusive language, how to use it, when to use it. But I hope that these next few slides help you out a little bit more. Here are some terms to avoid. You wanna exclude the following: catchphrases, slang, ableism, elitism, gender, stereotypes, race, religion, prejudice, and bias. None of these are a part of inclusive language. In the previous slide, we talked about all of the items or terms that we should exclude when we're trying to practice inclusive language. Now we're gonna go over the definitions, because these definitions are super important. I'm just gonna read them verbatim. Let's start with ableism. Discrimination or prejudice against individuals with disabilities. Bias, an inclination or predisposition for or against something. Catchphrases, a word or expression that is used repeatedly and conveniently to represent or characterize a person, group, ideas, or a point of view. Elitism, leadership or rule by an elite. Gender, the behavioral, cultural, or physiological traits typically associated with one sex. Prejudice, a negative attitude towards another person or group formed in advance of an experience with that person or a group. Here's some more definitions of inclusive language exclusions. Race, any one of the groups that humans are often divided into based on physical traits regarded as common among people of shared ancestry. Religion, a personal set or institutionalized system of religion attitudes, beliefs, and practices. Slang, an informal non-standard vocabulary composed typically of coinages, arbitrarily changed words, and extravagant, forced, or facetious figures of speech. Stereotypes, a set of cognitive generalizations about qualities and characteristics of the members of a group or social category.