The Corporate Communications team offer an inclusive language guide to support staff with their writing, helping to ensure that copy is inclusive and avoids inappropriate use of language. This document, and other resources developed by the team, are continually updated, added to, and refreshed. More information can be found on the Communications and Marketing Content and Editorial SharePoint page
Inclusive Language Guide – Jo Fisher, Corporate Writer and Editor, Communications and Marketing:
“I’m Jo Fisher, Corporate Writer and Editor. My team and I ─ Mike Brown, Senior Corporate Writer and Editor, and Claire Macdonald, Corporate Writer and Editor ─ work within Corporate Communications on projects such as prospectuses, online features, podcasts, and various publications. We also provide resources including Style Guides and workshops.
The Inclusive Language Guide is there to help anyone at the University who writes on any level, from large-scale publications to simple, everyday emails. It’s designed to ensure that copy and content is as inclusive as possible. We add to it as needed, consulting our own Southampton experts for advice.
Language can be incredibly powerful. Our University prides itself on being inclusive and equal, but if we do not reflect this in the way we speak and communicate, we cannot truly call ourselves an inclusive organisation.
Language around identity is continually evolving, so the Guide is designed to adapt and expand when needed. For example, it was flagged that our language around autism needed changing, and we responded to this by adding in a new section using what we learned from that conversation. We are now working to digitise our resources to make them more accessible.”
Have you read our Staff Matters Special Edition on Equality Diversity and Inclusion?
Check out more about some of our resources with yesterday’s post on unconscious bias training, diversity Inclusion and belonging library resources and Reasonable Adjustments
Coming up:
- Guidelines for accessible conferences
- Best practice example: SOTSEF
- Parents & Carer’s Network guide
Get involved:
Black History Month – which commences 1 October 2020 – for more information on events please go to the BAME Staff Network sharepoint site – https://sotonac.sharepoint.com/teams/UoSBAMENetwork
If you are interested in joining the Disability Support Network please contact [email protected]
