Interlude: Inclusion, Diversity, and Implicit Bias

This month, we're celebrating Pride with the LGBTQ+ community around the globe.

And what better time to talk about how we can communicate about LGBTQ+ and other diverse communities with inclusive language that acknowledges diversity, shows respect, honors identities, promotes equitability, and cultivates belonging.

At Redwood Ink, we are committed to supporting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in everything we do. That's why we check all documents for inclusive and bias-free language, regardless of the level of editing requested.

We also created an Inclusive Language Course to help you learn everything you need to know about adopting bias-free language that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in the health sciences.

And during the month of June, you can get half off your enrollment (that's lifetime access for less than $15). And 10% of your payment will go to the Health Equity Initiative. Just use the code "pride23" at checkout.

Enroll in the Inclusive Language Course

I also encourage you to share the code with your colleagues and friends. You can simply forward this email to them. The more we can promote inclusive language, the more we can work together to support diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in every aspect of our lives.

Happy Pride! 🏳️‍🌈

💌 Round-up

💻 From My Desk

Inclusive Language Matters: Recommendations for Health Care Providers to Address Implicit Bias and Equitable Health Care
Stigmatizing language can fuel implicit bias among health care professionals. And these biases can lead to unintentional negative effects in how these professionals care for patients. With guidelines from the AMA Manual of Style, health care providers can adopt inclusive language to reduce implicit bias and address disparities in health care.

👓 Reading

Unpacking “Disabled,” Reclaiming Disability
"Many people have chosen to reclaim the word “disabled” for themselves. Understanding why can help us create materials that resonate with our audiences.”

Inclusive Language Playbook: Writing for LGBTQ+ Communities
"A running theme that you’ll notice right away is our recommendation to discuss language in communication materials and to test those materials with your priority audiences whenever possible. This helps us write messaging that’s inclusive, representative, and effective."

🧰 Tools

Project Implicit
"The Implicit Association Test (IAT) measures attitudes and beliefs that people may be unwilling or unable to report. The IAT may be especially interesting if it shows that you have an implicit attitude that you did not know about."

I recently took one of these tests and found the process really interesting. I highly recommend that you take the time to check them out and test your own attitudes. 

📝 Challenge

Open the most recent draft of your writing or presentation. Review the text and make any revisions needed to use inclusive language.

Thank you so much for reading.

Warmly,

Crystal