Whether we recognize it or not, language is incredibly potent. A few words can raise someone up, or destroy their self-confidence forever. And it’s not just in our personal relationships that we need to think carefully about how what we say affects those around us.
Workplace interactions can benefit significantly from practicing the concept of people-first language. So what is this exactly, and why is it worth pursuing as an approach to professional communication?
The philosophy of people-first language
This movement has developed as a result of a need to redress large-scale discrimination against people with disabilities in working spaces.
The problem stems from the way that individuals with unique physical or mental needs are addressed, dealt with and perceived by other employees.
It’s not just the use of slurs and outwardly offensive terms that’s under scrutiny here, but also the more insipid linguistic quirks and phrases that can erode the self-esteem of even the most resilient human beings.
Even something as seemingly harmless as using ‘deaf’ in a playful way when a colleague fails to hear what’s been said to them is revealed to be innately harmful and pejorative when seen from the perspective of the people-first approach to language.Â
So at a time when mental health in the workplace is being given more attention than ever, it makes sense for organizations of all sizes to look more closely about their own in-house habits and culture in this context.
To explain this in more detail, let’s look at the term ‘disabled person’. The order of the words here prioritizes the disability above the individual, and defines them first by whatever affliction they have, not by who they are beneath this surface layer.
That’s why earlier in this article we used the term ‘people with disabilities’. Here, they are spoken of as people first and foremost, with the fact of their disability only mentioned to quantify why they are being mentioned in relation to people-first language.
Why it matters
There are several strands to the importance of people first language in the world of work, such as:
Demonstrating respect
Good working relationships are built on mutual respect. Without this, there will always be an imbalance, and being cognizant of how you interact with others will mean that you aren’t as likely to overstep the mark just because another team member has a disability.
Part of this is about steering clear of the temptation to use patronizing language, which is another bugbear for people who are disabled. Having to go around constantly being reminded of their ‘bravery’ for fulfilling their work duties, or even being singled out for the ‘unfortunate’ nature of their condition, is tiring and exasperating.
Listening
Don’t just make assumptions about how another person wants to be addressed, but instead listen to what they have to say on the matter and follow their guidelines, because after all they are the one who’s affected by language used by others.
This doesn’t just apply to people with disabilities, but to anyone else who is part of a minority group in the workplace. With long-standing legal rights ensuring that modern businesses are more diverse than ever, it’s up to everyone to expand their horizons and educate themselves on proper etiquette, rather than being regressive or stubborn for the sake of it.
Leaders in particular have to learn to listen, and this doesn’t just come down to in-person conversations. If concerns are being raised by other means, or murmurings are occurring beneath the surface of everyday office interactions, it’s important to be aware of where things stand, and whether there’s room for improvement. The reality is that most businesses could stand to do better in this arena.
Empowering every team member
People can be held back from unleashing their true potential in the workplace for all sorts of reasons. It could be the stress of the job, it could be the workload, it could be complications at home. For people with disabilities, the way they are talked to and about by others can feel like a millstone around their neck, holding them back from making progress and taking its toll on how productive and satisfied they are from day to day.
Thus people-first language is a means of empowering everyone, unshackling them from chains of disparaging modes of address, and letting them take flight. It’s good for individual team members, and also for the trajectory of the business as a whole.
This empowerment also has to be practical. If a person is unable to do something as efficiently as their colleagues as a result of their disability, don’t just chalk this up as an unavoidable reality, but instead see if there’s anything that can be done to level the playing field.
Rethinking the layout and accessibility of office space is a good starting point, but again you can often find out more by speaking with those members of staff who are impacted.
Outshining competitors
Using people-first language and supporting employees with disabilities as much as possible has one last benefit worth mentioning; it makes your business more attractive as an employer to new hires, whether or not they too are disabled.
The next generation of workers are looking for businesses that are inclusive, diverse, equal and home to a culture of positivity. Attracting and retaining talent isn’t just about perks any more, but also has to include strategies such as the organization-wide use of and training in people-first language.
Concluding thoughts
On the road to a more inclusive and progressive workplace, mistakes will be made. The key is to learn from these, and not become embittered by the small stumbles that occur as you endeavor to be a better employee and a better person.
You’ll find that by speaking about others as human beings, rather than setting them apart because of some superficial feature of their body or mind, you’ll be able to make the entire working environment more appealing to everyone in it.
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HR Future Staff Writer