1 Identify your audience

Before you start proofreading, you need to have a clear idea of who your audience is and what their needs, preferences, and expectations are. This will help you tailor your content to be relevant, respectful, and accessible to them. You can use tools like surveys, interviews, analytics, or personas to research your audience and understand their demographics, backgrounds, interests, and challenges.

3 Check for bias and stereotypes

Bias and stereotypes are beliefs or attitudes that are based on incomplete or inaccurate information and that influence how we perceive and treat others. These can be explicit or implicit, conscious or unconscious, and positive or negative. To ensure your content is free of bias and stereotypes, you should be aware of your own assumptions, opinions, and experiences and how they might affect your work. Additionally, be mindful of the sources, facts, and evidence you use to support your content, as well as the tone, voice, and perspective you use when writing. Finally, be open to feedback from those with different perspectives and experiences than you.

4 Use diverse examples and representation

Including diverse examples and representation in your content is a way of acknowledging the variety and complexity of human experiences and identities. This can help you connect with your audience, challenge stereotypes, and promote inclusion and equity. To do this, use examples that are relevant and relatable to your audience and topic. They should reflect the diversity of your audience and the world, such as different cultures, languages, lifestyles, and viewpoints. Furthermore, showcase the achievements, contributions, and perspectives of marginalized or underrepresented groups in a respectful manner. Avoid tokenism, exoticism, or appropriation when using or portraying people from these groups.

5 Make your content accessible

Accessible content is content that can be easily accessed, understood, and used by people with different abilities, needs, and preferences. This type of content can help you reach a wider audience, improve your content quality, and comply with legal and ethical standards. To make your content accessible, use clear and simple language that avoids jargon or idioms. Break up your content into headings, subheadings, lists, and paragraphs to make it easy to scan and follow. Additionally, consider using images, videos, audio, or graphics to supplement your content and make it more engaging. You should also include captions, transcripts, alt text, or descriptions to provide alternative ways of accessing your content for people who have visual, auditory, or cognitive impairments. Furthermore, use contrast, color, font size to make your content readable and appealing for people who have visual impairments or color blindness. Finally, use responsive design, navigation, and layout to make your content adaptable and compatible with different devices, browsers, and screen sizes.

6 Get feedback and revise

The final step of proofreading for inclusivity is to get feedback and revise your content based on the feedback. To do this, you should seek feedback from different sources, such as peers, experts, mentors, or members of your audience. It's important to seek feedback from diverse sources, so that you can get varied perspectives on your content. Additionally, make sure that the feedback is specific, constructive, and respectful. Respond to the feedback with gratitude, curiosity, and openness, and make sure to ask questions to clarify or understand it better. Then revise your content based on the feedback and explain how and why you made the changes. Remember that proofreading for inclusivity is an ongoing process that requires awareness, intention, and action. By proofreading for inclusivity in your content, you can create more meaningful, engaging, and impactful content for your audience and for yourself.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?