Inclusive Language

Image by Nicole De Khors on Burst

Instruments

Best Practices

The language spoken, written, and used in images within an organization and its external appearance contributes significantly to the reality of everyday life for employees, customers, the media, the public, and international stakeholders. Language and images create realities by opening or limiting spaces of meaning. An inclusive language, i.e., one that includes different social groups, helps to avoid the often unintentional exclusion of specific groups of people while at the same time enabling them to be included and taken into account in development processes. Through awareness, exchange, and reflection, the workforce can develop a shared understanding of language that becomes more and more part of the organizational culture. In addition, companies with an attractive image are perceived particularly positively by influencers, the media, and the public.