Inclusive language

CiA is committed to use inclusive language in its specifications and technical reports. Table 1 provides the often-used inclusive terms and the terms they substitute in the CAN application field.

Table 1: Inclusive terms and non-inclusive terms in the CAN application field

Avoid terminology related to race. Substitute “master” and “slave” by other terms such as “controller/device”, “producer/consumer”, or “commander” and “responder”. Instead of describing lists as “black and white”, use “block and allow” lists, for example. The terms “male and female” are sometimes used to describe electronic and mechanical connectors or fasteners. These terms can be substituted with, for example, “convex”, “plug”, “pin” or “prong” as opposed to “concave”, “receptacle”, “socket” or “slot”.

Use inclusive language all over the documents

Table 2 provides some examples of gender-neutral expression.

Use “she or he”, “him or her” and “his or her” or, for example, “the operator” or “the manufacturer” when referring to an individual. Alternatively, “they”, “them”, and “their” can be used as singular or plural.

Avoid using words that are unnecessarily gender specific. For example, write: “The material was synthetic” rather than “The material was man-made”.

Avoid stereotyped assumptions about the roles of men and women or people of different ages and backgrounds. For example, do not assume that a construction worker is a man or that an older person does not possess skills in using modern technology. When writing about groups of people, use language that highlights that they are individual people with X characteristics in common rather than a group defined only by that characteristic. For example, write “people with a visual impairment” rather than “the blind and partially sighted”.

Table 2: Examples of gender-neutral expression