Bias free writing strives to be egalitarian, so one person or group is not factored out from the rest. The word “egalitarian” comes from the root “equal.” To be egalitarian is to believe in basic equality: that all people should share equally in the benefits and burdens of a society. It means that everyone is entitled to the same respect, expectations, access to information, and rewards of participation in a group.

To communicate in an egalitarian manner, speak and write in a way that respects all of your listeners or readers, not just those who are “like you” in terms of age, gender, race or ethnicity, or other characteristics.

Bias Free Language

Communicators should try to be clear and direct in meaning, and drawing attention to details about race, age, country of origin, disability, gender, or politics in the workplace might cause conscious or unconscious bias. When crafting your communication think about who will be affected by what you say and how you say it.

A simple rule for using bias-free language is to consider whether personal details need to be included to get the point across.

Avoiding Gender Bias

Communicating in a non-sexist way requires the ability to recognize sexism in the first place. The next hurdle is to figure out a way to eliminate any inherent sexism without disrupting the flow of the communication. Here are a few techniques to help avoid bias.

Gendered Nouns

Use gender-neutral words when referring individuals in various positions:

Gendered Pronouns

Consider how you use gendered pronouns. Using he as a generic pronoun shows a strong bias towards male individuals. Instead you can use “he or she” (“his or her”) as the pronoun for a generic noun.  It’s now acceptable to use the plural pronoun “they” as a singular pronoun, to be inclusive and to avoid awkwardness by using too many “he/she” constructions. You can also eliminate singular nouns and use plural nouns and pronouns as appropriate.

For example, traditional rules of English grammar call for a singular pronoun to agree with a singular subject: “Someone will call you to further discuss the issue. He or she will call between 9:00 and 10:00 tomorrow morning.” Contemporary usage of English allows a plural pronoun in this case to avoid gender bias: “Someone will call you to further discuss the issue.  They will call between 9:00 and 10:00 tomorrow morning.” Or, in this situation, you may want to omit the pronoun: “Someone will call you to further discuss the issue. You can expect the call between 9:00 and 10:00 tomorrow morning.”  Here are a few more examples:

Avoiding Race, Ethnicity, and Religious Bias

In professional communications, do not mention a person’s race, ethnicity, or religion unless it is directly relevant to the situation. If you need to speak about a racial or ethnic group, deciding which term to use can be a tricky subject because the ascribed meaning to particular terms and labels can frequently change. It may be best to research online or ask a member of that group about preferred language. If you need to mention a religious group, do so in a straighforward way that does not demean the religion or portray it as “other” than the norm.

Avoiding Disability Bias

Avoid using labeled nouns when talking about people with disabilities. Try to use emotionally neutral expressions rather than ones that assign a role, such as victim.

The National Disability Authority has a useful web page that discusses Appropriate Terms to Use, to avoid disability bias in your communications.

Summary

The following video offers a brief review of the concept of bias in professional language, and how to avoid it.