A Guide to Bias-Free Communications
A Reference for Preparing Official University Publications
Gender
People in the university community are increasingly
aware of the need to use language that recognizes our
diversity and does not offend, demean or exclude people
on the basis of gender, race, ethnic group, religion, age,
ability/disability or sexual orientation.
In the fall of 1990 the Faculty Senate endorsed the
Gender Equity Task Force recommendation to assist
faculty, staff and students in dealing with these issues
when preparing official university publications and other
communications. A broad-based group of professionals
from the university community developed this guide in
consultation with a number of faculty, staff and students.
Changing our language usage, however, does not
come easily or automatically. Familiar ways of writing
and speaking are more comfortable; substitute phrases do
not always spring quickly to mind.
This guide is meant to help you find a more encom-
passing word or phrase when you need it and to be more
attuned to language that, whether intended or not, may
offend others. This guide aims primarily at written
material but applies as well to the spoken word.
This area is controversial and in flux. Usage that
groups prefer today may change next year, and this guide
will be updated annually. The point is to try to communi-
cate in a way that is respectful of diversity. Also, ex-
amples we cite may not satisfy everyone. For those who
want more specific information or other alternatives, we
have included a bibliography.
We welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions
on how to make this guide more useful and pertinent.
For more information, please call the Office of Univer-
sity Publications, 262-0948.
1.
Include all people in general references by substituting
gender-neutral words and phrases for gender-biases words.
Example Recommended
mankind people, humanity,
human beings
man-to-man defense one-to-one defense
man the operation staff the operation
manpower labor, human resources
layman’s terms ordinary terms
man hours staff hours, hours
manmade manufactured, synthetic,
artificial
2. Communicate to everyone by including both male and
female reference points. (Don’t assume marital or famil-
ial relationships.)
Example Recommended
faculty and wives faculty and guests
faculty and spouses
You and your spouse are You and your guest are
invited... invited...
boyfriends/girlfriends friends, guests, partners
Dear Sir Dear Sir or Madam
Dear Madam or Sir
Dear Colleague
Greetings
3. Avoid gender-biased pronouns by:
a) Dropping pronouns that signify gender and restructur-
ing the statement.
Example Recommended
Each student should Each student should
hand in his term hand in a term
paper by... paper by...
b) Changing to plural construction.
Example Recommended
Each student should Students should hand
hand in his term in term papers by...
paper by...
A nurse cares for her Nurses care for their
patients... patients...
c) Replacing masculine or feminine pronouns with “one”
or “you.”
Example Recommended
Each student should You should hand in your
hand in his term term paper by...
paper by...
Office of University Relations
University of Wisconsin-Madison
June, 1991
Gender (cont.)
d) Avoid awkward construction such as he(she), s/he,
(s)he, or him/her. Such constructions, which can be
easily reworked, imply that women are considered to be
the subject only as an afterthought.
Example Recommended
As a professor emeritus, A professor emeritus is
s/he is entitled to a entitled to a reduced
reduced parking fee parking fee in Lot 60.
in Lot 60.
When welcoming a new When welcoming new
teaching assistant, ask teaching assistants,
him/her to provide a ask them to provide
permanent address. permanent addresses.
4. Use a parallelism to refer to women and men equally
and to make references consistent.
Example Recommended
Danny Jones, a strong Jones, a strong basketball
athlete, and Suzy player, and Favor, a
Favor, and attractive powerful runner, are...
young runner, are...
10 men students & 10 male students and
16 female students 16 female students
Prof. Brown and Julia Prof. Brown and
Smith were recently Prof. Smith...
promoted.....
5. If a direct quote (derived from research or an inter-
view) offends or inappropriately excludes women or men
and is not essential to your document, consider eliminat-
ing, paraphrasing or replacing the quote.
6. Use neutral words for “man” and “woman” in job
titles or descriptions.
Example Recommended
chairman
chair, chairperson, director
policemen police officers
sales girl sales clerk
spokesman spokesperson
lady lawyer lawyer
Founding Fathers Founders
7. Base communication on relevant qualities, not on sex.
Avoid sexual stereotyping.
Example Recommended
She’s a good basketball She’s a good baskerball
player. She shoots like player. She shoots
a man. well.
A brilliant female A brilliant researcher...
researcher...
8. When choosing photographs or illustrations, con-
sider the balance of women and men. Also, be con-
scious of the relative positions of women and men and
their actions. Nonverbal messages conveyed by por-
traying men standing/women sitting, men gesturing at
smiling women, men pointing to or working with lab
and other equipment while women passively observe
imply status differences. Such implications, whether
subtle or direct, are unrealistic in the modern workplace
or university. Work with artists and photographers to
update graphic content.
Age
1. Refer to a person’s age only when it is relevant to the
medium or the message. For example, communications
that follow newspaper style are generally expected to
state a subject’s age. However, in most internal univer-
sity communications age is not pertinent and its mention
may even be distracting.
Irrelevant Recommended
The researchers, ages 56 Patricia Schmidt, 12, will
and 60, won a grant study at UW-Madison
from NIH. this spring. She is the
youngest student ever to
enroll at the university.
2. If you use a generic age descriptin, ask your subjects
what wording they prefer. Do they refer to themselves as
older persons or senior citizens? As youths, teenagers, or
young people?
3. Avoid cliches such as “precocious,” “spry,” or “chipper,”
and avoid generalizations that reinforce stereotypes about
age. Middle school children are not necessarily trouble-
makers, and not everyone over 80 lives in a nursing home.
4. Don’t assume older people are less intellectually,
physically, or emotionally able than other age groups.
Also, don’t underestimate the capabilities of younger
people simply on the basis of their age.
Inappropriate
Carl Elliot, 12 feeds his dog every day without having to
be reminded.
Darleen Hampton, 62, still puts in a full day in the
admissions office.
5. Don’t use patronizing language.
Example Recommended
The sweet little old lady The older woman smiled
beamed as she entered as she entered the
the classroom. classroom.
6. In communications meant to represent a range of
experiences or viewpoints, include people of diverse ages.
7. Newspaper style dictates that females 18 years or older
are women, not girls; males 18 years or older are men, not
boys. In a university setting, however, it may be more
appropriate to refer to all students, whether 17 or 60, as
men and women.
Race and Ethnicity
1. Avoid identifying people by race or ethnic group un-
less it is relevant. We don’t usually point out that an indi-
vidual is white or of Anglo-Saxon heritage. The same
rule should apply to other groups.
Inappropriate Recommended
Andrew Young, the
Andrew Young, the mayor
black mayor of Atlanta, of Atlanta, cast his vote.
cast his vote.
Maria Duran, a Hispanic Maria Duran, a professor
professor of Physics, has of physics, has been
been promoted to promoted to
associate professor. associate professor.
Alpha Beta Gamma, the The Alpha Beta Gamma
black fraternity, wants fraternity wants to
to re-roof its building. re-roof its building.
2. Avoid the term “non-white,” which sets up white cul-
ture as the standard by which all other cultures should be
judged. Also avoid “culturally disadvantaged” and “cul-
turally deprived.” These terms imply that the dominant
culture is superior to other cultures or that other groups
lack a culture.
3. Refer to individuals as “members of a minority group”
or specify the minority group (e.g., Latino) when minor-
ity
group identity is pertinent. (“Minority” refers to a group
and serves as a modifier in the term “minority group.”)
Example Preferred
Women and minorities Women and members of
are encouraged to apply. minority groups are
encouraged to apply.
Minorities attend the Members of the Hmong
meeting. and Korean communi-
ties attended the
meeting.
4. Avoid words, images or situations that reinforce ste-
reotypes and that imply all people of a particular race or
ethnic group are the same.
Example
Not surprisingly, the Asian-American students did best in
the math contest.
The Problem
Assuming it is relevant to point out that this group
excelled, the phrase “not surprisingly” may reinforce
the stereotype that all Asian Americans have superior
aptitude in math.
5. Be sure your communications do not patronize or give
token attention to members of racial or ethnic groups.
Exaggerated focus on people’s accomplishments or
insincere and gratuitous references to their concerns
imply that they are not normally successful or accom-
plished, or are not considered to be in the mainstream of
society.
6. Stay attuned to the current terminology by which
racial and ethnic goups refer to themselves. Usage
changes (e.g., from “Negro” to “African American”; from
“Oriental” to “Asian American”). National newspapers
and television news are good indicators of current usage.
Also, ask people what term they prefer.
People who trace their ancestry through the Caribbean
or Central and South America may identify themselves as
coming from any one of a number of different cultures
and ethnic groups. For instance, the terms Hispanic,
Latino/a, Chicano/a, and Puertorriqueño/a all have
different meanings. Many people whom the U.S. Census
would describe as “Hispanic” prefer the term “Latino or
Latina.” Some people with Spanish-sounding surnames
may have indigenous Indian, German or Asian ancestry
or prefer to be referred to by their nationality; e.g.,
Colombian, Nicaraguan, guatemalan. Others may prefer
that no reference be made to their nationality or ancestry.
People whose ancestors origionally populated North
Amereica may want to be identified with specific commu-
nities, such as Winnebago or Chippewa, or they may
prefer to be referred to as “American Indian” or “Native
American” rather than “Indian.” If in doubt, ask.
Also, attention must be paid to the punctuation used in
referring to racial and ethnic groups. The terms “African
American,” “Asian American,” etc., are nouns and should
not be hyphenated. However, when these terms are used
as modifiers (e.g., “the Asian-American students” in the
example under number 4), they should be hyphenated.
7. Be sensitive to religion when referring to various
ethnic groups. Don’t make assumptions. For instance,
just as not all Arabs are Muslims, most nationalities and
ethnicities will embody different religious practices.
Avoid stereotyping a race, nationalitiy or ethnic group
with a specific religion.
8. Review written communications and visual materials
to ensure that, where appropriate, all groups—women,
men, minority and ethnic group members, older people
and disabled people—are not represented.
This does not mean that every publication, video or
similar material must include all groups at all times, or
that participation or particular groups should be exagger-
ated or overstated. But generic campus publications,
such as college bulletins or communications that are part
of a continuing series (such as newspapers or annual
reports), should aim for reasonable representation of all
groups involved.
Disabilities
1. The terms impairment, disability, and handicap are not
synonymous. Be sensitive to the meaning of each.
An impairment is a physiological condition.
Arthritis is an impairment in which tissues of the joints
are damaged.
A disability is the consequence of an impairment. A
disability may or may not be handicapping.
Disabilities resulting from arthritis include difficulty in
bending the spine or limbs, and thus difficulty in walk-
ing or performing tasks.
A handicap is the social implication of a disability; a
condition or barrier imposed by society, the environment
or oneself. The term should not be used to describe a
disibility.
People with arthritic knees and hips may be handi-
capped by the absence of elevators in older buildings.
2. Disibilities may be the result of either injury or disease
— often a disease long past. Disabled people should not
automatically be viewed as sick or having a disease.
3. Put people first, not their disibilities.
Example Preferred
The visually impaired The student, who is vis-
student used a special ually impaired, used a
keyboard. special keyboard.
4. Do not focus on a disibility unless it is relevant to your
communication.
Irrelevant
The new instructor, whose bout with polio left him on
crutches, will teach two sections of African History.
Relevant
The author of the text on legal rights for the disabled
writes from experience. She has been a paraplegic
since childhood.
5. In photos or illustrations, depict disabled people in
everyday situations — work, home, play — and show
them interacting with nondisabled people. Do not focus
on wheelchairs, crutches, or other adaptive equipment.
6. When the context calls for discussion of people with
and without disibilities, use that term — “people without
disabilities” — rather than “normal” or “able-bodied.”
(“Normal” implies that by comparison disabled people
are abnormal; “able-bodied” suggests that all disabled
people are physically disabled or unable to compensate
f
or their disibilities.) “Nondisabled” is anothjer useful term.
7. Avoid language that portrays people with disibilities
as either unfortunate, helpless victims, or, at the other
extreme, as courageous superhumans.
Sexual Orientation
1. “Gender orientation” and “sexual orientation” are
preferred to “sexual preference,” a term which implies
that being homosexual, bisexual or heterosexual is a matter
of choice, and that sex is the focus of the relationship.
2. Most gay people prefer the term “gay” to the some-
what clinical “homosexual.” The term “gay” may be
used to refer to both men and women, but “lesbian” is the
term preferred by gay women. Keep in mind that people
of a bisexual orientation may not consider themselves to
be part of either the gay or heterosexual community.
As a matter of principle, refer to societal groups in the
way that members of each group prefer. Ask people what
term they prefer.
3. Avoid using “gay lifestyle” or “lesbian lifestyle.”
Being gay or lesbian is not a lifestyle; it is a fundamental
orientation. In addition, gays’ lives and relationships are
as diverse as those of the rest of the population.
4. “Gay community [is] an umbrella term used in the
same manner that phrases such as ‘the Italian American
community’ are used to describe groups with similar, but
not identical backgrounds and social agendas. The term
may be used to refer to both men and women, but, again,
‘lesbian and gay community’ is preferred.” (Media Guide
to the Lesbian abd Gay Community, 1990, p. 37)
5. Include the viewpoint of somebody who is gay when
reporting on a gay topic. Better yet, solicit more than one
gay viewpoint, since the gay, lesbian and bisecxual
community is not monolithic.
6. Avoid classroom or extracurricular activities or exer-
cises that assume all students are heterosexual or that
otherwise invade students’ privacy.
Bibliograohy
American Association of Retired Persons. Truth About Aging: Guidelines for Accurate Communic-
tions. Washington, DC: AARP, 1984.
American Psychological Association. Publication of the American Psychological Association. 3rd ed.
Washington, DC: APA, 1983.
Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. Media Guide to the Gay and Lesbian Community.
New York: GLAAD, 1990.
Jacksha, Barbara. “Avoiding Disabling Words.” The Professional Communicator (Dec. 1987/Jan.
1988) 8(1):9.
Lee, Rhonda, ed. Guide to Nonsexist Language and Visuals. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin
-Extension, Equal Opportunities Program Office and Department of Agricultural Journalism,
1985.
Moore, Robert B. Racism in the English Language. 4th ed. New York: Council on Interracial
Books for Children, 1985.
Pickens, Judy, Ed. Without Bias: A Guidebook for Non-Discriminatory Communication. 2nd ed. San
Francisco: International Association of Business Commmunicators, 1982.
Shear, Marie. “Equal Writes.” The Women’s Review of Books (Aug. 1984) 1(11):12 & 13.
Siedman, Eileen, ed. The Right Word: Guidelines for Avoiding Sex-Biased Language. Washington,
DC: American Society for Public Administration, National Committee of Women, 1979 (rev.)
