Inclusive Communication for all

If you want to refer to a specific aspect of the identity of a person, you may choose between identity-first or person-first language.

Let me illustrate an example: You can either say “the person with a disability” (person-first language) or “the disabled person” (identity-first language). Another example: you can say “the person who is old” or you can say “the elderly person”.

Person-first language is used to avoid stereotyping a person, which, in the previous examples, happened based on their disability or age. Identity-first language, however, can be used to affirm a person's pride in being elderly, for instance.

See the examples of the activity below. 🖊️Then choose two examples and decide, in which context the person-first or identity-first language is more inclusive. 🤔Afterwards, share your observation with your colleagues and discuss their arguments.