How To Make forms More Inclusive

April 30th, 2021

Quick links:

Considerations
General Recommendations
Definitions
Gender, Pronouns & Sexual Orientation
Race & Ethnicity
Disabilities

Reflection

How could you be causing harm without intending to?

One facet that I've seen repeatedly is the way we ask people about themselves, especially in software. We fill out forms so often we might not really notice. Yet for those not in the default identity groups (white, cisgender man, straight, wealthy, able-bodied, American, Christian, neurotypical) filling out forms can range from invalidating to triggering, depending on the context. Let's break down some ways to make your forms inclusive and approachable for all.

Considerations

For demographic data:

Communicate why you are asking and what this information will be used for. People may answer differently in different contexts.
Explaining how you will use the data to support — rather than harm — underserved communities can reduce respondents’ fear of your organization sharing their personally identifiable information.

General Recommendations

Names

Can be 1-2 letters
This is true for both first, middle and last name fields

Honorifics

Add Mx, M, Ind, Misc for gender neutral options
Example: Mx Jules Chevalier or Mx and Mr Chevalier

Accessibility is being inclusive for those who interact with forms using screen readers, keyboard only, mouse only or other methods.

Definitions

Sex - is a label assigned at birth by doctors based on a set of visible & physical characteristics one is born with. There are at least 6 medically recognized sexes

Gender - external expectations Gender is an assumption society and people have about behaviors, thoughts and characteristics that are paired with a person’s assigned sex

Gender Identity - how you feel on the inside Gender Identity is a person’s inner understanding of the gender(s) to which they belong or with which they identify. This is each person’s unique knowing or feeling, and is separate from a person’s physical body or appearance (although often related).

Sexual Orientation - is a pattern of emotional, romantic and/or sexual attractions.

Race - physical appearance Race is a person's physical qualities that make them fit into distinct groups. People are assigned to different racial categories by their physical, unchangeable traits, like skin color, hair texture, eye shape, and facial features.

Ethnicity - a person's culture (not visible on the surface) Ethnicity is someone's regional cultural heritage. This includes a person's native language, their religion, the holidays they celebrate, and their cultural practices. In this case, ethnicity is tied much more closely to geographical region and culture than physical appearance.

Nationality is defined as the legal citizenship of a nation state.

Gender, Pronouns and Sexual Orientation

Use an inclusive list and

Ability to select more that one (Example: Transgender and Woman)
Have a write in option like "Prefer to self describe _ _ _ _ _ _"
Have a choice "Prefer not to say"
Alphabetize choices or consider the order in which options appear
Keep in mind that people can use more than one set of pronouns
For gender use man and woman not male and female
Trans is an adjective, not a gender

People may answer this differently based on context, so explaining why you need to know and how it will be used is a good idea

Examples:

Which of the following best describe you (check all that apply)?

- [ ] Agender
- [ ] Genderfluid
- [ ] Genderqueer
- [ ] Man
- [ ] Non-binary
- [ ] Woman
- [ ] Prefer not to say
- [ ] Prefer to self describe _ _ _ _ _ _


Are you transgender?

- [ ] Yes
- [ ] No
- [ ] Prefer not to answer


What are your pronouns (check all that apply)?

- [ ] Ey/Em/Eir (pronounced ay/em/heir)
- [ ] He/Him/His
- [ ] She/Her/Hers
- [ ] They/Them/Theirs
- [ ] Ze/Hir/Hirs (pronounced zee/heer/heers)
- [ ] Ze/Zir/Zirs (pronounced zee/zem/zeers)
- [ ] Prefer not to say
- [ ] Prefer to self describe _ _ _ _ _ _


How would you describe yourself (check all that apply)?

- [ ] Asexual
- [ ] Bisexual
- [ ] Demisexual
- [ ] Fluid
- [ ] Homosexual / Gay / Lesbian
- [ ] Pansexual
- [ ] Queer
- [ ] Questioning
- [ ] Straight / Heterosexual
- [ ] Prefer not to say
- [ ] Prefer to self describe _ _ _ _ _ _

Only ask sex if you really must, but chances are you don't need to or you may want to reexamine why you are asking. Do you really need to know what genitals someone has? Or if they might menstruate? What their chromosomal makeup is?

Sex is not binary, and there are more than 6 currently medically recognized sexes

What is your sex?

- [ ] Female & Assigned Female At Birth
- [ ] Intersex
- [ ] Male & Assigned Male At Birth

🛑 Worst case (what NOT to do)

What is your gender?

- [ ] Female
- [ ] Male

Race & Ethnicity

Use an inclusive list and

Ability to select more that one (Example: Black and Asian)
Have a write in option like "Prefer to self describe _ _ _ _ _ _"
Have a choice "Prefer not to say"
Alphabetize choices or consider the order in which options appear

Be intentional when asking about race and ethnicity together or separately

There are reasons to go either way and how the data will be used drives this
For example, the US census asks separately yet many Americans do not separate their race from ethnic origin

A note on Hispanic & Latinx:

Ethnically, you can be Hispanic or Latino and be of many different races, including Black, indigenous, and White.

For instance, people from Spain can be both Hispanic (ethnically) and White (racially), while people from the Dominican Republic can be both Latino (ethnically) and Black (racially).

Examples:

I Identify as: (Select all that apply)

- [ ] African American or Black
- [ ] American Indian or Alaska Native
- [ ] Asian or Asian American
- [ ] Hispanic, Latinx or Spanish Origin
- [ ] Middle Eastern or North African
- [ ] Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
- [ ] White
- [ ] Not listed here or prefer to self-describe: __________
- [ ] Prefer not to answer


Which of the following best describe you? (Select all that apply)

- [ ] American Indian or Alaska Native: Navajo Nation, Blackfeet Tribe, Mayan, Aztec, Native Village or Barrow Inupiat Traditional Government, Nome Eskimo Community
- [ ] Asian: Chinese, Filipino, Asian Indian, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese
- [ ] Black or African American: African American, Jamaican, Haitian, Nigerian, Ethiopian, Somalian
- [ ] Hispanic, Latinx, or Spanish Origin: Mexican or Mexican American, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Salvadoran, Dominican, Colombian
- [ ] Middle Eastern or North African: Lebanese, Iranian, Egyptian, Syrian, Moroccan, Algerian
- [ ] Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: Native Hawaiian, Samoan, Chamorro, Tongan, Fijian, Marshallese
- [ ] White: German, Irish, English, Italian, Polish, French
- [ ] Something not listed above: ________________
- [ ] Prefer not to answer

Are you Hispanic, Latino/a/x or Spanish origin? (Select all that apply)

- [ ] No
- [ ] Yes; Colombian
- [ ] Yes; Cuban
- [ ] Yes; Dominican
- [ ] Yes; Ecuadorian
- [ ] Yes; Guatemalan
- [ ] Yes; Mexican, Mexican American, Chicano
- [ ] Yes; Puerto Rican
- [ ] Yes; Salvadoran
- [ ] Yes; Spaniard
- [ ] Yes, another origin ________________

Note: these are US-centric ethnicity choices

Disabilities

Collecting information about different abilities is a sensitive topic, so many organizations avoid collecting it. But if organizations commit to serving the full diversity of their communities, they must understand how they can meet the needs of those with a range of abilities and disabilities.

Asking questions about disability is a delicate topic, so first learn about the difference between identity-first and people-first language and what words to use when discussing disabilities that are respectful and inclusive.

Identity first vs person first

⚠️ This is a sensitive topic

Identity first: Disabled person

Person first: Person with disabilities

From my research, person first is largely driven by the caretakers, not by the affected persons themselves.

Not all disability/neurodivergent/mental health communities have the same consensus.

Do you identify as having a disability?

- [ ] Yes
- [ ] No
- [ ] No, identify as culturally Deaf
- [ ] Prefer not to answer

What is culturally Deaf?

What type of disability or disabilities do you identify as having? (Select all that apply.)

- [ ] Blind/low vision
- [ ] Deaf/hard of hearing
- [ ] Cognitive disability/neurodivergent
- [ ] Physical disability/reduced mobility
- [ ] Prefer to self-describe ________________
- [ ] Prefer not to answer

Do you use any assistive technologies when using phones or computers?

- [ ] Yes
- [ ] No
- [ ] Not sure
- [ ] Prefer not to answer

(If Yes or Not sure) What assistive technologies might you use? (Select all that apply.)

- [ ] Screen reader (like JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, TalkBack, ChromeVox)
- [ ] Screen magnification (like ZoomText, Magic, browser zoom)
- [ ] High contrast mode
- [ ] Voice recognition software (like Dragon Naturally Speaking)
- [ ] Switch access device
- [ ] Adaptive or alternative keyboard
- [ ] Keyboard-only use
- [ ] Eye gaze control
- [ ] Not listed (please specify) ________________
- [ ] None of the above
- [ ] Prefer not to answer

Conclusion

When we create forms, the questions we ask and the answers we choose to offer reflect our understanding of the world. Implicit bias is built into our perception and mental models based on our privileges and experiences.

We don't know what we don't know. We have to educate ourselves on who we are leaving out or how we might be causing harm. This is especially true when we are reducing the infinite expanse of human experience into pre-selected options that are asking us to identify ourselves.

A person is not an edge case.

Please help make this better

If you see something here that should be added, changed or removed please email me. I am doing my best to represent groups that are marginalized. I don’t want to miss something I’m ignorant of though.