Use gender neutral language where appropriate.
Somewhere along the way I got used to groups being referred to as ‘you guys’ ... and when I started teaching I'd do it as well ... and then I had some students ask ‘could you please not refer to us as guys?’ – Library staff member
- Examples
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- When referring to generic or unknown persons, use gender neutral pronouns, such as 'they' and 'them.' For example, an assessment task that requires students to 'interview a researcher about his practices' assumes that all researchers are men – replacing 'his' with 'their' avoids this gender exclusive language.
- Avoid using gendered terms or phrases when referring to groups of students. ‘Men and women’, 'he or she' and ‘ladies and gentlemen’ are gendered phrases, and using this language can exclude non-binary students. ‘Guys’ is a masculine term yet it is often used to refer to groups of diverse genders. Although it remains a common practice in university culture, saying ‘ok guys!’ to bring a class to attention privileges this male-gendered term and can lead to feelings of exclusion or invalidation on the part of women and those of non-binary genders. Try out different terms instead, such as ‘ok everyone,’ ‘ok people,’ or just ‘let’s finish up our conversations.
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Avoid using ableist language, particularly when it implies having a disability or mental illness is inherently negative.
- Examples
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- For example, avoid saying ‘that’s so nuts’ or ‘this is crazy’, as comments like these suggest that you think mental illness is a synonym for ‘bad’.
- Similarly, ‘that’s so lame’ is a common phrase that suggests mobility issues equate to worthlessness.
Using language that affirms the stigma about having a disability and/or mental health concerns can exacerbate other forms of prejudice. For example, LGBTIQ+ people disproportionately experience anxiety, depression and poorer physical health outcomes resulting from the additional stress caused by discrimination (Meyer & Frost, 2013).
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If you have to identify a student during a class, do not use racial or gendered terms. It is best to use names whenever possible, otherwise find neutral descriptors.
We take five seconds before we start the class to have everyone write their name out and have a sign in front of them, so we can actually address them by name, and it also works as an icebreaker activity. – Library staff member
- Examples
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- If you’ve asked for volunteers and several hands have gone up, you could call upon “the student at the back” or “the student in the red shirt,” as opposed to identifying the student by assumed race or gender.
- Consider activities that help you use students’ names, as this can facilitate a more personal and inclusive approach.
- Note that spotlighting students for individual contributions to a class is not generally good practice, as this can make more introverted students highly uncomfortable – such students could contribute in other ways, such as in written exercises, electronic polls, or pair-based activities.
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When discussing a specific Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person, it is best to refer to the specific nation or language group that individual belongs to.
- Examples
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- For example, Rueben Berg, who runs the Cultural Safety workshops at Monash University, is a Gunditjmara man.
There a diversity of opinions within community about terms for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. For example, Indigenous Australian (with a capital ‘I’), First Australian, First Nations Peoples, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, are all terms applied to the community but there are a diverse range of opinions about whether these names are appropriate and accurate. Ultimately, referring to the specific nation an individual belongs to is the best approach.
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Respect students’ gender identity and pronouns.
- Examples
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- Avoid hastily assuming genders of students, and be mindful of using their correct pronoun when it is indicated. Using the wrong gender pronoun* is called 'misgendering.' If you misgender a student, correct yourself and apologise briefly, as emphasising your mistake may make the student feel uncomfortable.
- You can list your pronouns in your email signature, or on opening slides along with your name, which can signal to transgender/gender diverse students that they are in a safe space. For example, in an opening slide you can put your pronouns next to your name thus: ‘Jo Kovacič (she/her/hers)’. If teaching via zoom, you can edit your profile to add your pronouns after your name, and even encourage students to do the same using the rename function during a session.
- To find out more about transgender/gender diverse people, you can access a series of videos in the Trans 101 gender diversity crash course. For more about trans-inclusive language, see Alex Kapitan’s Radical Copyeditor’s guide for writing about transgender people.
*Note that it has become common practice to talk about or ask for people’s ‘preferred’ pronouns. There’s increasing controversy around this phrasing, however, as it suggests that a person’s pronouns are a preference or a choice, rather than a fact about them. We suggest it is better to avoid this phrasing. For example, you might ask ‘which pronoun do you use?’ instead of ‘what’s your preferred pronoun?’
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Use resources that reflect diversity. Avoid using stock images and creating examples that reinforce stereotypes around gender, sexuality, people of colour and people with disabilities.
- Examples
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- When selecting images or taking new photos—whether it’s for slides, websites, or promotional material—aim to represent diversity wherever possible. For example, if using pictures of families or couples, consider including pictures of LGBTIQ+/rainbow families.
- Cultural diversity is similarly important, as stock photos can reinforce stereotypes about people of colour. Media representations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, for example, are consistently negative and it is important to avoid reinforcing those stereotypes.
- Consider gender diversity in images as well. Stock photos in which all doctors are men and all nurses are women, for example, reinforce gender stereotypes around these professions, which can make women studying medicine or men studying nursing feel isolated or uncomfortable.
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Ensure that resources are accessible to students with visual impairments or reading difficulties.
- Examples
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- To make visual information clear to visually impaired students in your classes, describe and explain images, and avoid using images alone to convey meaning (Mortiboys, 2010). Conversely, adding images to text explanations aids in comprehension.
- Wherever possible, avoid putting text in images. When text is necessary (in flow charts, for example), ensure 'alt text' is provided, or produce alternative text-only versions. Students with vision impairment or reading difficulties often use screen reading software, such as JAWS, NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access), or VoiceOver for Mac, and unless alternative text is provided for images, or text-only versions are produced, visual resources can be inaccessible. In particular, avoid using Piktochart to generate text-heavy resources. Piktochart exports images, which will not be accessible. Presenting text in images also means that text cannot be resized (to become more readable) without losing quality.
- Provide handouts in electronic form.
- Make sure that Powerpoint slides;
Further guidance on creating accessible materials can be found here (Monash only).
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