Microsoft supports, by policy and practice, the elimination of bias in both written and visual communication. Documentation and art should depict diverse individuals from all walks of life participating fully in various activities. Specifically, do not use terms that may show bias with regard to gender, race, culture, ability, age, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic class.
Use the following sections to evaluate your work and eliminate bias and stereotypes from it.
Use gender-neutral or all-inclusive terms to refer to human beings, instead of terms using man and similar masculine terms.
Use these terms | Instead of |
|---|---|
Chair, moderator | Chairman |
Humanity, people, humankind | Man, mankind |
Operates, staffs | Mans |
Sales representative | Salesman |
Synthetic, manufactured | Man-made |
Workforce, staff, personnel | Manpower |
Do not use the generic masculine pronoun (he, his, him, himself) unless you have no other choice. Use the instead of his, or rewrite material in the second person (you) or in the plural. If necessary, use a plural pronoun such as they or their with an indefinite singular antecedent, such as everyone, or with multiple antecedents of different or unknown genders, such as Pat and Chris. Use his or her for the singular, possessive case if you can do so infrequently and only if nothing else works.
Microsoft style
A user can change the default settings.
You can change the default settings.
Someone may have the file checked out on his or her computer.
Pat and Chris each have their own profile.
The message remains there until your friend logs on to the Internet and retrieves his or her messages.
Not Microsoft style
A user can change his default settings.
Each employee can arrive when he wishes.
Each employee can arrive when s/he wishes.
Do not use slang that may be considered profane or derogatory, such as pimp or bitch.
Use a variety of first names, both male and female, that reflect different cultural backgrounds.
In art, show men and women of all ages, members of all ethnic groups, and people with disabilities in a wide variety of professions, educational settings, locales, and economic settings.
Do not use stereotypes relating to family structure, leisure activities, and purchasing power. If you show various family groupings, consider showing nontraditional and extended families.
Ensure that examples represent diverse perspectives and circumstances. Avoid using examples that reflect primarily a Western, affluent lifestyle. For more information see Chapter 3.
Not only should Microsoft products and documentation be accessible to all, regardless of disabilities, but documentation should positively portray people with disabilities.
Use these terms | Instead of |
|---|---|
Blind, has low vision, visually impaired (this term encompasses people with blindness, low vision, or color anomalies) | Sight-impaired, vision-impaired, seeing-impaired |
People who are deaf or hard of hearing | Hearing-impaired |
Has limited dexterity, has motion disabilities, is physically disabled, uses a wheelchair | Crippled, lame, wheelchair-bound, confined to a wheelchair, restricted to a wheelchair |
People with disabilities | The disabled, disabled people, people with handicaps, the handicapped |
People without disabilities | Able-bodied, normal, regular, healthy |
Cognitive disabilities, developmental disabilities | Slow learner, retarded, mentally handicapped |
Has multiple sclerosis | Is affected by MS |
Has cerebral palsy | CP victim |
Has epilepsy or a seizure disorder | Is an epileptic |
Has muscular dystrophy | Stricken by MD |
Is unable to speak, or uses synthetic speech | Dumb, mute |
Has mental retardation | Retarded, mentally defective |
Do not equate people with their disabilities. In general, focus on the person, not the disability. Whenever possible, use terms that refer to physical differences as nouns rather than adjectives. For example, use wording such as “customers who are blind or have low vision” and “users with limited dexterity.”
Do not use terms that depersonalize and group people as if they were identical, such as “the blind” and “the deaf.”
Microsoft style
Customers who are blind can use these features.
Play-goers who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can attend signed performances.
Not Microsoft style
The blind can use these features.
Theaters now offer signed performances for the deaf.
Do not use terms that engender discomfort, pity, or guilt, such as suffers from, stricken with, or afflicted by.
Do not mention a disability unless it is pertinent.
Include people with disabilities in art and illustrations, showing them integrated in an unremarkable way with other members of society. In drawings of buildings and blueprints, show ramps for wheelchair accessibility.
For more information, see Chapter 4.
For background reading and in-depth information, see the following sources:
Dumond, Val. The Elements of Nonsexist Usage: A Guide to Inclusive Spoken and Written English. New York: Prentice Hall Press, 1990.
Guidelines for Bias-Free Publishing. New York: McGraw-Hill, n.d.
Maggio, Rosalie. The Bias-Free Word Finder: A Dictionary of Nondiscriminatory Language. Boston: Beacon Press, 1991.
Schwartz, Marilyn. Guidelines for Bias-Free Writing. Bloomington, Indiana: University Press, 1995.