The Power of Language – Why words matter

There is very little that I can add to the Inclusive Language podcast that has not already been expressed so much more articulately and from powerful personal experience by Lucy, Jess and Emily and the charity professionals in the podcast, and I’ll aim to avoid spoilers. So, if there is a take-home message from me, it is just to listen – you’re in for a treat!

Rather, the podcast has led me to reflect on the power of language and the impact it can have on people’s lives. Words are powerful: they can hurt, harm, heal, drive change and uplift.

In Inclusive Language, it is highlighted that people often fear “getting it wrong” – a sentiment that I have so often found throughout the ‘equity, diversity and inclusion’ work that has come to the forefront for so many organisations (ourselves included) across the corporate, public and third sectors in recent years. For me, I feel this work is so sensitive and challenging for many, because we inherently understand that (overused labels aside) it ultimately comes down to power, belonging and identity borne out of the personal ‘lived’ experience that each of us has and holds in different ways.

There is a reason why almost any work from reports, to legal documentation, to training seminars tend to start with definitions: to ensure everyone is on the same page and to avoid miscommunication. Perhaps this too might be a helpful way for some to think of inclusive language – that by asking the question up front, being curious and open, you are laying solid foundations that avoid miscommunication. From there, relationships can be built, along with the person-to-person connection and understanding that makes the world go round a little more smoothly.

At John Lyon’s Charity, we often refer to ourselves as a ‘relational funder’, because we aim to meet with every charity that applies to us and is eligible for a grant. This helps us to better understand them within their context – whether that’s a volunteer-led supplementary school on a Barnet housing estate undergoing regeneration, or a charitable café in the middle of Westminster that provides accessible training opportunities for young people.

In building these relationships we hope too that charities feel they can approach us not just to celebrate their work, but also when something is going wrong, so we can work together to see how we can adapt and respond; and perhaps this is not dissimilar to how we should approach language, to make it more inclusive? I’ll let you decide after the podcast episode! You can tune in via the link below.