Don’t assume that everyone from a particular group wants to be referred to by the same terminology. If in doubt, ask them.
Here are some words and phrases where more inclusive substitutions can be made:
| Replace | With |
|---|---|
| Suffers from (eg disability) | Lives with or has |
| Disabled person | Person with disability |
| Disabled toilet | Accessible toilet |
| Minorities | Under-represented groups |
| Manning the phones | Staffing or operating the phones |
| Man hours | Work hours |
| Husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend | Partner |
| Mother, father | Parent |
| Ladies and gentlemen | Everyone, all, assembled guests |
| Guys (eg hi guys) | Folks, team |
| Normal | Typical |
| Chairman | Chair, chairperson |
| Christian name | First name or full name |
| Mankind | Humanity or people |