Inclusive Language

Disabled

In general, use people-first language such as students with disabilities and do not describe an individual as disabled unless it is clearly pertinent to a story. Avoid descriptions that connote pity, such as afflicted with or suffers from multiple sclerosis. Rather, has multiple sclerosis.

Some terms include:

adaptive education

Using instruction and curriculum development to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities.

communicative disorders

A program that emphasizes speech-language pathology/audiology and deafness rehabilitation.

deaf

Describes a person who is deaf or who has significant hearing loss. For others, use hard of hearing. Avoid using deaf-mute. Do not use deaf and dumb.

disabled

A general term used for a physical, mental, developmental or intellectual disability. Do not use mentally retarded or cripple. Use person with a physical disability; person with a mental health disability; person with an intellectual disability.

handicap

Should be avoided in describing a disability.

mute

Describes a person who cannot speak. Others with speaking difficulties are speech impaired.

visual impairments

NIU uses visual impairments. AP style uses blind. Describes a person with complete loss of sight. For others, use terms such as visually impaired or person with low vision.

wheelchair user

Used for independent mobility. Do not use confined to a wheelchair or wheelchair-bound.

Gender Pronouns

women

Pronouns include she, her, hers, herself.

men

Pronouns include he, him, his, himself.

AP style - gender-neutral

Pronouns include they, them, their, theirs, themselves. Do not use themself.

NIU style - gender-neutral

Use the pronouns people prefer.

Please see the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center for updated information.

As a general rule, communication should refrain from saying his/hers (use their instead) or from women and men (use people or students) in the same way we say parents or families instead of mother and father.

Students of Color

African American

• AP style - Acceptable for a person of the black race. African American is acceptable for an American black person of African descent. AP Style no longer uses hyphens.
• NIU style - All persons having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.

Asian American

All persons having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand and Vietnam. AP Style no longer uses hyphens.

Black

(racial reference) Acceptable for an American black person of African descent.

DACAmented

Refers to youth who are eligible and have applied and received the documentation under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Hispanic, Latinx or Latina/Latino

All persons of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.

Latin American

(noun) Refers to people who hail from or whose family background is in Mexico, Central America, parts of the West Indies or South America, where Spanish, Portuguese and French are the official languages derived from Latin.

Mexican American

AP Style no longer uses hyphens.

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

All persons having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa or other Pacific Islands.

undocumented

A foreign national who:

• Entered the United States without inspection or with fraudulent documentation or
• Entered with a visa and overstayed the terms of their status and remained in the United States without authorization. Other terms commonly used in reference to undocumented students include unauthorized, DREAMers, generation 1.5. Do not use illegal; this is a term that is dehumanizing and hurtful.

white

(racial reference) All persons having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East or North Africa. Lowercase.