Bias: 

An inclination, feeling, or opinion, especially one that is preconceived or unreasoned, that projects favorable or unfavorable dispositions toward people, affecting our understanding, actions and decisions. Done consciously, it is known as explicit bias; done unconsciously, it is known as implicit bias.

Gender:

Gender refers to the socially constructed characteristics, behaviors, and roles associated with being masculine or feminine (women or men; boys or girls). This is not the same thing as a person’s sex.

Gender Identity: 

Gender identity is a person’s innate sense of their own gender, how they perceive themselves and what they call themselves. This includes the gender binary of man and woman, as well as identities in between or outside the gender binary. One’s gender identity can be the same or different from their sex assigned at birth.

Identity First Language: 

“Identity-First Language” focuses first on a person’s qualifying identity, often a disability, when describing them. Their disability becomes the central component of the person’s identity and does not separate the person from their disability. This type of language allows individuals and communities to reclaim their disability as a positive social identity and express pride in their shared culture.

Identity-First Language: Autistic Person
People-First Language: Person with Autism

Inclusive: 

Creating intentional space, both physical and behavioral, that honors individual uniqueness and fosters a sense of belonging for anyone and everyone.

Intersectionality:

The idea that multiple identities intersect to create a whole identity. These identities that can intersect include gender, race, social class, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion, age, mental disability, physical disability, mental illness, and physical illness as well as other forms of identity. These aspects of identity are not mutually exclusive. Each element or trait of a person is inseparably linked with all other elements.

Microaggression:

Indirect, subtle, and often unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group. Discrimination can be verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages.

People First Language: 

“Person-First Language” is a way of communicating that acknowledges and respects the humanity of an individual first and foremost in relation to their qualifying identity, often in reference to a person’s disability. Person-First Language puts the person before the disability and describes what a person has, not who a person is.

Person-First Language: Person with a disability
Identity First Language: Disabled person

Race:

A social construct used to divide people into hierarchical groups based on physical appearance, social factors and cultural backgrounds.

Sex:

Sex refers to the biological and physiological characteristics of males, females and intersex individuals, such as reproductive organs, hormones and chromosomes.

Sexual Orientation:

A person’s sexual identity in relation to the gender to which they are attracted. Attraction includes emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attraction to other people. All three are not usually the same but all three are included in a person’s sexual orientation. Common sexual orientations include asexual, bisexual, heterosexual (or straight), homosexual (or gay or lesbian), and pansexual, among others. A person's sexual orientation does not have to be tied to any sexual activity.  

Verbal & Written Language: 

Communication using language in either written or spoken form.

Examples: Lecture content, handouts, clinical vignettes, discussion questions, sources, linked resources, simulations, captions.

Visual/Media:

Communication that can be perceived by the eyes. 

 Examples: Images, handouts, photos, clipart, videos, drawings on handouts, slides or materials, simulations, headshots of presenters or source authors.