Last updated: July 11, 2025
Waterloo works to incorporate inclusive language into every communication and publication — promoting inclusion and non-bias in both content, structure and presentation. This section of the Inclusive Communication guide supplements the University of Waterloo Writing Style Guide. This guide serves to provide University communicators and community members with guidelines on how to create content that is authentic, inclusive and supportive of all. Throughout this guide, we will highlight recommended language and language to avoid.
Principles and conventions to consider when writing or reporting to promote inclusion and non-bias:
1. Always consult
All social groups have different ways of naming or referring to themselves. It’s important to be mindful and respectful of language when discussing race and identity. When in doubt, it's always best to ask individuals how they prefer to be identified.
2. Avoid generalizations and labels
Identify a person by race, colour, national origin or immigration status only when it is truly pertinent. It is appropriate to report that a woman facing deportation is Polish. Similarly, the victim of hate mail may be referred to as Jewish to provide context.
3. Avoid writing broadly about diverse communities
Avoid the dangers inherent in painting a large group of people with the same brush. Be specific and avoid generalizations. When certain descriptors are relevant, be as specific as possible to avoid inaccurate or generalized statements.
Example: Use “Dominicans” rather than “Hispanics.” Or “people of colour/racialized people” when you mean “Black people”.
4. Avoid assumptions
It should not be taken for granted that a Muslim ceremony needs explanation while a Roman Catholic mass does not. Never assume your readers share your background. Watch the labels — calling some fruit “exotic” might make sense to someone raised in rural Saskatchewan but would not ring true to many cultures in Toronto who grew up eating it for breakfast.
5. Be conscious of context and connotations
Some terms carry connotations within a community that might not be apparent outside of it. The word “thug,” once defined as a “violent criminal” or “menace,” is heard by many as a racial slur.
6. Avoid adding “the” to a marginalized group
E.g., Don’t call people “the homeless,” “the disabled,” “the Chinese,” “the elderly,” etc. Instead, use “homeless [or unhoused] people,” “Chinese people.”
7. Use honorifics for racialized people and women who have earned professional title
E.g., Dr. Martin Luther King (or Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, not “Martin Luther King” or “MLK.” Use Professor Crenshaw, not Kim Crenshaw, etc.
Navigate through Related links on the right-hand side of this web page to learn more about the considerations for inclusion and non-bias.
