Diversity & inclusion in digital communications projects

BIPOC considerations for digital communications projects

The language we use can often perpetuate harm or offense toward members of BIPOC communities. To craft communications that are sensitive to the experiences of BIPOC groups, follow these guidelines. 

• Avoid tokenising when representing diverse groups in your photos and graphics
• Consider the user experience of all members of your community when creating and structuring content
• Use plain language
• Avoid language that suggests victimhood, e.g. “suffers from”, “confined to a wheelchair”
• Ensure racial and ethnic groups are designated by proper nouns and capitalized. For additional information see Racial and Ethnic Identity. APA Style

References

To fully foster inclusion for all members of the community, we encourage you to view the related resources below.

• Antiracist Glossary and Terms | Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity
• BIPOC: What Does It Mean? The New York Times, 2020
• Racial and Ethnic Identity. APA Style, American Psychological Association, 2019.
• A Progressive’s Style Guide: Toward Harnessing Language in Support of Intersectionality and Cross-sector Power Building, Thomas, Hanna and Anna Hirsch
• Guide de communication inclusive: Pour des communications qui mobilisent, transforment et ont du style!, Université du Québec

Indigenous considerations for digital communications projects

• Familiarize yourself with terminology specific to Indigenous communities. For more information, see the British Columbia Writing Guide for Indigenous Content.
• Capitalize terminology relating to Indigenous identities; Indigenous governmental, social, spiritual, and religious institutions; and Indigenous collective rights. 
• Use active language and present verbs when discussing Indigenous peoples and affairs, and avoid possessive terms,
  • e.g. replace "The Treaty provided rights to First Nations" with "First Nations negotiated to Treaty to secure their rights"
  • e.g. replace "First Nations held this territory" with "First Nations hold this territory"
  • e.g. replace "Montreal's Indigenous community" with "the Indigenous community in Montreal"
• Include an acknowledgement of the traditional territory. For more information, see, e.g., the Land Acknowledgement web page and the Traditional Territory web page on the Equity at McGill website.
  • See Native Land Digital for a map of Indigenous territories.

Additional resources

• McGill's Land Acknowledgement web page
• Equity team Traditional Territory web page
• Indigenous Peoples: Language Guidelines, University of British Columbia
• Elements of Indigenous Style: A Guide for Writing By and About Indigenous Peoples, Gregory Younging
• Writing Guide for Indigenous Content, University of British Columbia
• The 519. 2018. Media Reference Guide

Respectful language for mental illness, suicide, and substance use

Misperceptions and stigma around mental illness, suicide, and substance use are still represented in common phrases. Speaking and writing about these topics in a more respectful and accurate way helps reduce stigma and promote inclusion. Here are some guidelines to help you create more inclusive and respectful content.

1. Avoid casual use of slang terms related to mental illness and substance use ("bonkers," "nuts," "crazy"). Instead, think about the feeling or observation that you're really trying to convey. For example, frustrating, irritating, funny, or bizarre might be more accurate terms for the feeling or adjective you're looking for. 
2. Focus on a person's experience, instead of using it as a label. For example, "A person living with mental illness" or "A person experiencing depression" are more respectful formulations than "A mentally ill person" or "A depressed person."
3. Try not to make assumptions about someone's experience of mental illness. Instead of describing someone as "suffering" from mental illness, it's more inclusive to describe them as "living with" or "experiencing" mental illness. 
4. Use accurate terms for substance use and substance use disorder. (Avoid labeling people as junkies or addicts, or formulating substance use disorder as "substance abuse.") It can also be helpful to focus on the current reality of a person (e.g. in recovery) rather than their past experience of substance use. 
5. Use sensitive, plain language when speaking about death by suicide and attempted suicide. Avoid terms like "committed suicide" or "successful suicide," as well as "failed" or "unsuccessful" suicide attempts. These have unhelpful (or even painful) connotations. 

References

• Language Matters: Reference Guide. Mental Health Commission of Canada. Mental Health Commission of Canada, 2020. 
• Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. 6th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2010.
• The Chicago Manual of Style. 17th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2017.