This document discusses ways to make forms, language, and design more inclusive. It suggests rethinking assumptions about gender, names, titles and how information is collected. Questions are raised about whether gender information needs to be collected, how it is used, and allowing for self-description. The document also discusses making drop-down menus and fields more inclusive for people from all cultures and backgrounds by considering name structures, languages, characters and what turning people away unintentionally. Accessibility is also mentioned as important but covered elsewhere. The overall message is that progress is being made but there is still work to be done to make content more inclusive.

1. Avoid turning users away
Making inclusive design and content decisions
Mark H. Anbinder
Cornell University
@mhaithaca

2. Rethinking Gender
• Do your forms need to ask
about gender?
• How are we using gender info
that's collected?
• How are we using titles or
greetings like Mr., Mrs., Miss.,
Ms., Dr., and so on?

3. Rethinking Gender
• There are use cases for
collecting gender and identity
for statistical purposes.
• Be clear about what you're
looking for and why.
• Be as complete as possible
and allow for self-description
Source: https://www.hrc.org/resources/collecting-transgender-inclusive-gender-data-in-workplace-and-other-surveys

4. Rethinking Forms
• Long pop-up lists for picking a
state work fine if you're from
California. Go figure! Not so
much for New York or the
back half of the alphabet.
• Same goes for pop-up lists for
picking a birth year for those
older than 25. (At least most
such menus allow typing!)

5. Rethinking Identity
• Who do we turn away when
we ask for just First Name and
Last Name on a web form?
• Many cultures have names of
three, four, five or more parts
• Who do we turn away when
field validation doesn't allow
punctuation, accents, etc.?
When we insist a name must
be at least three characters?
No more than twelve?
Source: https://www.w3.org/International/questions/qa-personal-names.en

6. Rethinking Identity
• Consider why we've been
asking for First Name & Last
Name and how we might do
without them
• Sorting
• Greetings
• Printed lists
• Try new ways of using old
fields, as HighEdWeb has

7. Rethinking Language
• Gone are the days of “he or
she” in text. Or are they?
• Long gone are the days of the
presumptive "he"
• Using singular "they"
Source: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/column-he-she-they-grammar-rule

8. Rethinking Language
• When talking about our area's
history, are we respecting
cultures who came before us?
• Are we being respectful of all
cultures who share our
campus community?

9. What about accessibility?
This is vital! But it's being
well covered elsewhere
this week.

10. We have a long way to go
...but we're getting there!