Inclusivity is accessibility
Written by Jonny Edge, Senior Creative
Earlier this year, Oxfam published their Inclusive Language Guide and before long we saw the now-predictable “woke” conversation ignite in the exact publications you’d expect. What we didn’t see was widespread discussion in marketing circles which – honestly – was disappointing. Not because I expected to hear hot takes or dismissals of Oxfam’s entirely reasonable (and well explained) recommendations, but rather because I hoped to see agencies acknowledging the guide and committing to consider its principles in their processes going forward.
As Oxfam themselves commented in response to the onslaught of derision they received from free speech brigade, inclusivity is about “helping [us] communicate in a way that is respectful to the diverse range of people with which we work”, so why wouldn’t that be important for agencies and creators too? Sure, the activations we devise and the campaigns we roll out are designed to appeal to a set target audience, but if we can appeal to the entirety of that target audience, why wouldn’t we?
Inclusivity is a part of accessibility
For the impact that inclusive language can have, and the ease with which it can be implemented, a review of language used in any content we create should be a natural part of the process. Think of how we check the contrast between colours used on a social graphic to ensure its legibility to anyone, no matter the strength of their vision. Checks like these are often part of our approval processes, falling under ‘accessibility’ as a logical, necessary final check to ensure the content you create has the greatest chance of being seen and understood. Shouldn’t the inclusivity of the language used in an asset be given the same attention?
Inclusivity and accessibility are often seen as separate considerations, but they don’t need to be. While accessibility is often pragmatic, based on browser versions, font sizes and so on, inclusivity tends to be seen as subjective, or emotive. But is it? Changing a sentence to use ‘spokespeople’ or ‘workers’ instead of ‘spokesman’ or ‘workman’ is unlikely to change a sentence’s meaning or impact, and so even the most protective of creatives – and hey, we all have our moments – would struggle to argue against a change like that in the service of inclusivity. And if that is all that it takes to broaden the potential audience that your message can resonate with, isn’t it worth doing?
Remember at the end of the day, as an agency the impact of everything we do is easily measurable, and the success of a campaign is determined by pre-agreed key metrics. Inclusivity, just like accessibility, increases the potential audience that can enjoy and engage with the content you create, and increases the likelihood of achieving those all-important milestones. As Google Trends will show you, there has been a growing curiosity around inclusive language in the past few years, and I hope to see this continue – although with that curiosity becoming action instead.
Inclusion is active, not passive
Inclusivity is a part of accessibility
For the impact that inclusive language can have, and the ease with which it can be implemented, a review of language used in any content we create should be a natural part of the process. Think of how we check the contrast between colours used on a social graphic to ensure its legibility to anyone, no matter the strength of their vision. Checks like these are often part of our approval processes, falling under ‘accessibility’ as a logical, necessary final check to ensure the content you create has the greatest chance of being seen and understood. Shouldn’t the inclusivity of the language used in an asset be given the same attention?
Inclusivity and accessibility are often seen as separate considerations, but they don’t need to be. While accessibility is often pragmatic, based on browser versions, font sizes and so on, inclusivity tends to be seen as subjective, or emotive. But is it? Changing a sentence to use ‘spokespeople’ or ‘workers’ instead of ‘spokesman’ or ‘workman’ is unlikely to change a sentence’s meaning or impact, and so even the most protective of creatives – and hey, we all have our moments – would struggle to argue against a change like that in the service of inclusivity. And if that is all that it takes to broaden the potential audience that your message can resonate with, isn’t it worth doing?
Remember at the end of the day, as an agency the impact of everything we do is easily measurable, and the success of a campaign is determined by pre-agreed key metrics. Inclusivity, just like accessibility, increases the potential audience that can enjoy and engage with the content you create, and increases the likelihood of achieving those all-important milestones. As Google Trends will show you, there has been a growing curiosity around inclusive language in the past few years, and I hope to see this continue – although with that curiosity becoming action instead.
Inclusion is active, not passive
Jonathan Palmer of Outvertising led a particularly enlightening workshop on active allyship at Tangerine HQ. The point he started with is one that still sticks with me – ally is not a noun, it’s a verb, and so requiring action, not inaction. It is a status that is earned, not given, and certainly not assumed. The inclusivity of the content we create and the stories we tell is similar, and it is only in actively pursuing inclusivity with the tenacity we do accessibility that we strive towards that goal of true allyship.
Inclusivity should be a priority at a natural, procedural level, just like accessibility.
From where I’m sitting, inclusivity is accessibility. Or, at least, it could be. By taking principles like that laid out by Oxfam to heart, what is initially a process of second-guessing copy already written in current processes and workflows, soon becomes woven into the very fabric of the creative process – so word choices that wouldn’t pass the inclusivity test never make it to the first draft, let alone the final draft. But the process of arriving at that intuition starts with conscious effort, and the conviction to hold up production in short-term to ensure that inclusivity standards are met.
