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Acknowledge unconscious bias and challenge your own assumptions

Unconscious bias may easily lead to unintended discrimination. Everything begins with acknowledging your own limitations, biases and privileges. It’s important to become aware of the concept of 'unconscious bias'. The phrase 'unconscious bias' refers to our tendency to make automatic assumptions about others based on our own backgrounds and experiences. However you cannot know the experiences, thoughts, life situation, or self-defined identity of others. If not acknowledged, unconscious bias may easily lead to unintended discrimination which can cause racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic inequalities. Biases affect us even when we have good intentions, especially when making decisions regarding other people.

1. Strive to recognise how your own position, background and experiences affects to your thinking patterns, perspectives and your way of working with people.
2. Our unconscious biases and stereotypes may be attributed unfairly to different groups of people, so be careful about assumptions and generalisations you make.
3. For example, when considering things like gender, age and other demographics, do not view them as limitations and be considerate.
4. Enable participation, communication, and interaction with your end users whenever possible.
5. Reflecting on our own thoughts and actions in our everyday life is important. Can you recognise your own biased thinking patterns? To support reflection, you can use the .

Identify points of exclusion and do not hesitate to act

Identify points of exclusion in your content and design practices. Exclusion happens when we solve problems using our own biases and we end up creating barriers to inclusion. It’s an on-going process to recognise and remove these type of barriers and whenever you notice inclusion barriers do not hesitate to act.  
For example if you witness biased language respectfully tackle it by firmly and non-judgmentally confronting what you don’t find acceptable. Do not hesitate to ask for help if you feel you need even a little help: support is available, and Aalto has clear shared principles and processes for handling these situations.

In all cases and with all questions you can contact Aalto's harassment contact persons. They can be contacted confidentially and they do not proceed your case without your permission.  

1. Try to think of the permanent, temporary, and situational factors which might create barriers and prevent someone from using a digital product or content as you intended.

Representation matters more than you might think

Representation helps people connect on a personal level and creates more meaningful encounters. Representation is how societal aspects such as gender, age, ethnicity, nationality, and social issues are presented and included. When you include representational aspects, you are ensuring that digital experiences are made for everyone’s cultures, genders, sexuality, ages, etc., as well as for people of varying abilities. It also fosters a team environment where ideas are diverse, perspectives are varied, and everyone feels valued.

1. When choosing images or illustrations ensure diversity is represented with people from a diverse spectrum of colour, culture, gender, sexuality, body size, etc.

Use inclusive language, speak with care and respect

Be respectful with your language. Use welcoming communication that makes others feel safe and creates inoffensive work or study environment. Use also language that everyone understands so that everyone may participate.  
If you learn that something you’ve said was experienced as disrespectful or excluding, listen carefully and try to understand that perspective and apologise. Try to forgive others if they offend you by accident.

1. Review your words through the lens of inclusivity.
2. Use plain language and avoid using language specific slang/idioms, exclusionary jargon and complicated metaphors.
3. Avoid collective terms and labels, such as “females” or “the blind,” that group individuals into a category that promotes objectification.
4. Use gender-neutral language. Try to remember that an individual’s disability, gender, ethnicity, nationality, or heritage is just a small part their complex identity.