3. Inclusive language
Anchor ’s services are for everyone. They should be welcoming and impartial. It’s important that the language we use reflects this.
We write for and about people in a way that's respectful, sensitive and inclusive. This helps us to be accurate and build trust with our residents and colleagues. We avoid labelling people.
Disabilities and conditions
Conditions describe what a person has, not what a person is. We put the emphasis on abilities and use language that respects people as active individuals with control over their own lives. We say things like: people living with a disability , people with diabetes , and wheelchair user or people who use wheelchairs (try thinking of the wheelchair as a mobility aid). However, w e don’t automatically refer to disabled people – some people who need disability benefits and services don’t identify with this term. Consider using people with health conditions or impairments if more appropriate. We do not use passive words or outdated terms that stereotype or stigmatise such as: afflicted by, suffering from, victim of, confined to a wheelchair, handicapped, the disabled, diabetic person, sick person. When we refer to parking spaces for disabled people we say Blue Badge parking or parking for disabled drivers and passengers . Deaf can be used to mean any range of hearing loss but Deaf (with a capital D) may also refer to people whose first language is BSL (British Sign Language) and consider themselves part of ‘the Deaf community’. People with hearing loss or people with hearing impairment may be more suitable. Blind refers to total loss of vision. Visual impairment refers to any kind of partial sight that is below 'normal' levels. Remember to use whichever is appropriate for the context. We use mental health condition or mental health problems . We don’t describe people as mentally ill. We use young people , older people , older age or later living . We don’ t use adolescents, youths, teenagers, the elderly, seniors, old people, old age pensioner or OAPs. Try to be specific such as people aged 90 and over . Be accurate – men over 65 is different from men aged 65 and over. Don't use at the age of X or X years of age. Only use: X-year olds or over Xs where this is accurate. We only refer to a person’s religion if it's relevant. We use faith groups to refer to people with religious beliefs collectively. Take into account the customs and practices associated with particular beliefs, but avoid stereotyping or
Deaf
Blind
Mental health
Age
Religion
Anchor Language and Style Guide v20 300724
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