Audio description: A blonde woman with pink glasses, earrings and jacket. She is wearing a white shirt and holding a cane. She is standing in a foyer.
Transcript: When I’m included in society as someone with disability, when someone else takes that into account – it feels like I belong, that I’m a member of that community that is valued, ah that I’m respected and that you know I have a valuable contribution that I can make to society. So if someone else… you know, I’m deaf blind and they come in and say ‘let’s see how we can make this so you can see it, and hear it’ then I feel like they have respected me as a person and my entire identity.
Inclusion is about everyone feeling confident and safe when accessing information and services. Language is a powerful part of inclusion – it creates a sense of belonging for everyone.
There are two key ways to create inclusive communications:
Is accessible communication the same as inclusive communication?
No, there are differences between the two.
Accessible communication removes barriers that may prevent people with disabilities, including those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, from accessing information. This applies to everything from documents, websites and emails through to signs.
Inclusive communication focuses on using language that is respectful and does not exclude anyone. There is great advice in the Australian Style Manual.
While language around disability is always evolving and people have different preferences when describing disability, inclusive language typically adopts a person-first approach. Information about a person’s race, gender or disability should only be included if it’s relevant.
If you can, ask people for their personal preference. For example, many people with autism prefer to be called autistic.
If you can, ask people for their personal preference. For example, many people with autism prefer to be called autistic.
