Eurac Research’s HSE Department is developing e-learning modules on occupational health and safety (OHS) to train Eurac Research staff in future. The Specialised Communication Group was asked to support the process by a) revising the language and terminology of source texts, b) adapting the language to their target users and c) translate the Italian source texts into German and English.
The first draft text in Italian systematically uses the generic masculine, as most OHS legislation and information or training material in Italy. However, given the intended target readership and the Communication Department’s recent policies favouring greater attention to inclusive language, it became soon evident that a more inclusive language had to be adopted. The research focus of the project will therefore be on the possible strategies for gender-neutral or gender-inclusive OHS texts, so as to make them more acceptable to a target readership that is growing more sensitive to the topic. The challenge consists in breaking the conservative habit of using the generic masculine in this domain without causing any confusion or uncertainties from the legal point of view. The project also allows for comparisons across Eurac Research’s three languages.