Words we use glossary

acronyms and initialisations 

Spell out acronyms or initialisations at first mention unless they’re well known (‘BBC’, for example). Put the acronym in brackets, like so ‘special educational needs and disability (SEND)’. 
Don’t use an acronym if you’re not going to use it again later in the text.  
Don’t use full stops between letters, for example ‘UK’, not ‘U.K.’ 

accessible formats 

Explain this term if you use it. It’s better to say that a document is ‘available in a range of formats besides print, including braille and large print.’ 

acquired deafblindness 

Lower case. 

Act or Bill 

Capitalise these words when writing about legislation, whether you’re talking about a specific piece of legislation or not. 

addresses 

Write out in full as ‘Street’ or ‘Road’. Don’t abbreviate to ‘Rd.’ or ‘St.’ 
Double check spellings using a reliable source, such as Google Maps. 

North, south, east, west: use lower case when used as compass directions, such as north London. Always use lower case for north-east, south-west (note hyphens).  

adviser 

Not advisor. 

affect and effect 

Note the difference between the verb ‘to affect’ and the noun ‘effect’. ‘I’ve been affected by my hearing loss, which has had a serious effect on my life.’ 
A tricky example – changes ‘come into effect’ and will ‘affect all of our lives.’ 

age 

When describing someone’s age write as ’16 year old’ or ‘16 to 18 year olds’, not ‘16-year olds’ or ‘16-18 year olds’. Avoid using numerals alone, state that the number signifies someone’s age, ‘Louise, age 3, loves the outdoors’ not ‘Louise, 3, loves…’ 

ampersands (&) 

Always use ‘and’ instead of an ampersand unless the ampersand is part of an official name. 

any more 

Two words. At Sense, we don’t say “anymore” any more. 

apostrophes 

To support an informal tone of voice, use contracted words which have an  
apostrophe – I’ve, don’t, wouldn’t. When using an apostrophe to convey ownership, the rule used for names and nouns doesn’t apply to the word ‘it’. For example, ‘Sarah’s guide dog was asleep in its bed.’ 
For Sense possessions, don’t use an apostrophe for ‘Sense services’, ‘Sense staff’, ‘Sense centres’. 

(Also see possessives and Sense services.) 

autism, autistic people 

Lower case. According to the National Autistic Society (NAS), many autistic people see their autism as a fundamental part of who they are. There is a preference towards being described as ‘an autistic person’ or ‘a person on the autistic spectrum’. This is instead of the less popular ‘has autism’ or ‘person with autism’. Also see Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) below. 
Note that some people will prefer to use the term ‘neurodiverse’ or ‘neuroatypical’. Where possible, the people concerned should tell us how they identify themselves.  

Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) 

We may refer to people having an Autistic Spectum Condition (ASC). This term is often prefered over Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as the word ‘disorder’ suggests something is wrong with them, whereas ‘condition’ expresses the fact that it is a fundamental part of who they are. 

Sense Arts, Sport and Wellbeing 

Capital ‘A’, ‘S’ and ‘W’ when talking about our Sense Arts, Sport and Wellbeing Team or programme. For instance, ‘Sense Arts, Sport and Wellbeing is dedicated to providing…’  

When talking about the separate strands: 

• Sense Arts 
• Sense Sport (no ‘s’ on the end of ‘Sport’) 
• Sense Wellbeing (not ‘Well-being’) 

beneficiary  

Avoid this term. It’s better to talk about ‘people we support’ or ‘people who use Sense services’. This puts the people first, before the service. 

blind 

Lower case. Used to describe someone who has a severe degree of visual impairment. 

braille 

Note lower case. Only use capital when talking about its inventor, Louis Braille. 

branches 

Lower case, as with Sense’s Kent branch. 

(Also see centres) British Sign Language (BSL) 

For first use, write out in full and show the initialism in brackets. Use ‘BSL’ thereafter. 

BSL/English interpreter 

Note lower case ‘I’. 

Sense Buddying 

Capital letter. Use a capital ‘B’ when referring to a specific ‘Buddy’. 

bullet point lists  

• Capital letter at the start of each item. 
• And always with a full stop at the end. 

Exceptions to this rule include lists with just one or two words per point. Adding a full stop after each of these would be unnecessary and may disrupt the flow of content for people using screen readers.  

It’s important to distinguish bullet point lists from sub/heading round ups in content tables or magazine covers. These should not be written with full stops at the end. 

(Also see lists, for numbered lists.) 

care home 
Avoiding ‘old people’s home’. 
(Also see older people.) 

carer, caregiver 
Use to describe family members, partners or friends who help a person with their daily living. Don’t refer to them as ‘care workers’ or ‘homecare workers’ as they aren’t paid or providing care in a professional capacity. Also avoid ‘caretaker’. 
It’s important that we don’t describe carers as angels or martyrs. Caregivers are normal people; equals with the person they’re providing care for. 

capital letters 

Tend to be overused. Only use them for proper names, such as people and organisations. 
We don’t use them for Sense teams, like the people team; we do use them for Sense services, like Sense Holidays. 
Don’t use block capitals as it makes words more difficult to read for people who are visually impaired. 

(Also see sentence case and Sense services) 

case study 

When referring to information collated on or by someone that Sense support, please use the term ‘story’ rather than ‘case study’. 
Also note that we ‘share’ not ‘use’ people’s stories. 

Sense Centres, the centre 

Capital ‘C’ when talking about ‘Sense Centres’. Lower case when talking about ‘the centre’. 
Avoid the term ‘daycentre’ and any discussion of ‘day services’. 

(Also see Sense services.) 

chair, chairperson 

Use lower case ‘c’ unless referring to a specific post holder, for example ‘John Crabtree, Chair’. Use ‘chair’ and ‘chairperson’ unless the gendered term is specified in a title, as with ‘Dr Justin Molloy, Chairman of Sense’. 

CHARGE syndrome 

Capitalise CHARGE, lower case ‘s’. 

Charity Commission 

Not ‘Charities’ Commission. 

charity number 

Our charity number is written as: ‘Registered charity number 289868.’  
Our company number is written as: ‘Registered company number 1825301.’ 
Note that ‘number is written out in full, not as ‘no.’ 

childcare 

One word, as with ‘healthcare’. 

click 

Avoid generic calls to action and web-based terms, like ‘click’ and ‘scroll’. This applies to page content and to any digital action buttons. 
If you must reference a specific manual action, use ‘select’ instead of ‘click’ as this is more inclusive to users on different devices. Otherwise, state the desired action clearly, such as ‘sign up’, ‘subscribe’ and ‘read on’. 
Exceptions may occur in online forms or complex user journeys. 

(Also see links in text and the digital publishing guide.) 

collective nouns 

If using a singular noun, use the singular form of the verb, for example ‘the government has announced’, or ‘Sense has decided’.  
Always use singular when talking about Sense: 

• ‘Sense is’ not ‘Sense are’ 
• ‘Sense has’ not ‘Sense have’ 

 When referring to a group as a collection of people, it becomes a plural, requiring a plural verb. 

• Singular: ‘The Sense fundraising team had exclusive access to the venue.’ 
• Plural: ‘The Sense fundraising team were starting to give out leaflets.’ 

(Also see singular and possessives) 
 

Sense College, the college 

Capital ‘C’ when talking about Sense College, as with ‘They’ve enrolled at Sense College’.  
Lower case when talking about ‘the college’. 

Sense communicator guides 

Job titles aren’t the most effective way of conveying what someone does at Sense. Instead, include a short description of the responsibilities of the person or role. For example, rather than ‘Sam, a Sense Communicator Guide…’ say ‘Sam, who offers people support with activities and communication…’ 
Instead of ‘we have a team of communicator guides’, say ‘we have a team of specialists who provide people with support, both at home and in the community.’ 

Where a job title is absolutely necessary, use lower case. 

complex disabilities, complex needs 

Lower case. 

At Sense, we tend recognise someone as having complex disabilities if they have two or more of the following conditions:  

• Deaf or hearing impairment  
• Blind or vision impairment  
• Learning disability  
• Autism  

They may have other needs as well as two or more of the above.  

These needs may be with a person from birth, or following illness or injury, or they may develop with age.  

Having complex disabilities often means you experience unique barriers in daily life. It may mean you need high level support to communicate, develop new skills and live more independently.   

congenital deafblindness 

Lower case. 

congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) 

Lower case. 

Connecting differently 

A brand term used by Sense. Capital ‘C’ and lower case ‘d’ in brand and marketing contexts. Lower case when using ‘connecting differently’ as part of a sentence. 

connecting sight, sound and life 

The Sense strapline. Lower case. 

councils 

Capitalise when using the full title of a specific authority, like Manchester City Council. Thereafter, use ‘council’. 

(Also see local authority) 

Care Quality Commission (CQC) 

Upper case ‘C’, ‘Q’ and ‘C’. After first use, can be referred to as ‘CQC’. 

Covid-19, coronavirus  

Refer to ‘Covid-19’ with a capital ‘C’ from first use, though using ‘coronavirus (Covid-19)’ at first is also acceptable. Don’t use ‘COVID-19’ as we should try to avoid using block capitals. Words written in caps are more difficult to read for people who are visually impaired. 

dataset 

One word.  

dates and decades 

Full dates should always be written ‘day month year’, using numerals rather than ordinals: ‘Wednesday 4 August 2022’ not ‘Wednesday 4^th August 2022’.  
When referring to a specific year outside of full dates, continue to use the numeral. 
However, use the written form when referring to a decade, such as ‘this language was introduced in 1975 and became widely used in the eighties.’ 

DbI 

DbI is the abbreviated term for Deafblind International. Use a capital ‘D’, lower case ‘b’ and capital ‘I’. First use: ‘Deafblind International (DbI)’. 

deafblind, deafblindness,  

One word. Lower case. We use people first language and write about ‘people who are deafblind’. This is our default position, but the people we support should be free to express their preference. 

Both Sense and Sense International use the term ‘deafblindness’ to refer to the condition of having impaired hearing and vision. We talk about ‘people who are deafblind’ and ‘the impact of deafblindness’ – not ‘people with deafblindness’. 

D/deaf 

For people who identify culturally as ‘Deaf’, use a capital ‘D’. For people who don’t identify with this group, and when talking about the impairment in general, use a lower case ‘d’. 
Where possible, ask the person/group in question which they prefer. 
Never use ‘deaf and dumb’ or ‘deaf mute’. 

Disability Living Allowance 

Upper case. 

diseases 

Lower case for diseases such as rubella, mumps, measles. Upper case when named after a person – Usher syndrome (note lower case s), Alzheimer’s (note apostrophe). 

disabled, disability 

Refer to ‘disabled people’, rather than ‘the disabled’. Don’t use ‘people with disabilities’. 
Note, this contrasts with our rule on complex disabilities. When discussing this group, always say ‘people with complex disabilities’. 

Down syndrome 

Capital ‘D’, lower case ‘s’. 

dual-sensory impairment 

One hyphen. Can be used as an alternative to deafblind. 

early years 

Lower case.  

e.g. 

Avoid. Instead, use ‘for example’ and ‘such as’.  

especially or specially 

We’re especially keen to ensure that these words are used correctly. We’ll create a certificate specially for those who manage to get it right. 
Especially = particularly; specially = for a special purpose. 

etc 

Avoid. It shouldn’t be necessary to use ‘etc’ to end a list or follow an example. Instead, make it clear that you aren’t providing a complete list or set of examples. 
For instance, ‘the style guide was comprehensive, covering words we use, words to avoid, spelling preferences etc.’ ‘the style guide was comprehensive, it included words we use…’ 

email 

One word. Avoid the hyphenated spelling used in American English. 

exclamation marks 

Use sparingly. Your writing should be exciting, not the punctuation.  

eyesight 

One word. 

eye care 

Two words. 

factsheet 

One word. 

FAQs (frequently asked questions) 

Avoid. Find a more descriptive way to introduce a set of questions and answers. For example, ‘common questions from parents’ or ‘volunteer questions with answers’. 

fewer or less 

The difference is in the substance measured. ‘fewer’ means smaller in number, whereas ‘less’ means smaller in quantity. For example, ‘she’d eaten fewer cakes and drank less tea than her guest.’ 

fundraising, fundraiser 

One word. 

GCSE, GCSEs 

Small case ‘s’. Don’t add full stops between the initials. 

general election 

Lower case unless referring to a specific election, such as ‘the 2019 General Election’. 

government 

Lower case in all contexts and uses.  

hard of hearing 

Avoid using this phrase. Our preferred terms are ‘hearing impairment’ and ‘hearing loss’. We would say, for example, ‘their daughter has progressive hearing loss’.  
If this term forms part of someone’s description of themselves, don’t hyphenate. 

headteacher 

One word. 

healthcare 

One word. As with ‘childcare’. 

health and social care 

Lower case, separate words. 

hearing impairment, hearing loss 

Lower case. 

headings – sentence case 
Only use a capital letter for the first letter of the first word. This rule should be applied to titles/headings, sub-headings, email subject lines and campaign slogans. 

Using title case as it makes words more difficult to read for people who are visually impaired. 
The only exceptions are for proper nouns, including Sense services, and social media links or hashtags. For instance, when using #SenseSignSchool or directing people to Facebook – Sense Events Team. 

Sense Holidays and Short Breaks 

Capital ‘H’, ‘S’ and ‘B’ when talking about our Sense Holidays and Short Breaks programme. When talking about the separate strands: 

• Sense Holidays 
• Sense Short Breaks 

home care 

For care provided at home, by carers. Note, one word for ‘professional homecare workers’. 

homepage 

Lower case, one word. 

home schooling, home schooled  

Two words. 

home working 

Two words. 

Sense hubs, the hubs 

Lower case ‘h’ when talking about Sense hubs, and when talking about ‘the hubs’ more generally. 

hyphens and dashes 

Hyphens are used to join to words, dashes are used to separate clauses in a sentence. Make sure the symbols you use are correct.  
Microsoft Word will sometimes correct hyphens used as dashes – it will swap it for the elongated symbol, an en dash. You can also add this symbol manually, in Insert > Symbols > Special symbols. 

Look out for paragraphs which position the en dash at the very end of a line, like – 
make sure that the paragraph break takes the en dash onto a new line. 

Sense Information and Advice 

Capital ‘I’ and ‘A’. Always use with the Sense name. Don’t use ‘&’. 

i.e. 

Avoid. Instead, use ‘for example’ and ‘such as’.  

individual, individuals 

When talking about people, avoid this term. It’s better to use the words ‘person’ or ‘people’ to emphasise our warmth and people-focused approach. 

In the social care sector, the words ‘individual’ and ‘individuals’ have become labels. Generic terms like this, which describe people without a context, can come across as cold. Other examples are ‘residents’ or ‘clients’. 

The words we use to describe people should provide relevant information and context. Such as being a ‘student’ when you’re at college, or a ‘patient’ when you’re in hospital. Using these terms out of these contexts would be wrong. The ‘patient’ is also someone who is a father, someone who likes to go to the pub, someone who gets support from a Sense service. 

impairment 

Used to describe a physical condition. We would describe someone as having ‘a hearing impairment’, rather than being ‘partially deaf’.

interpreter 

Job titles aren’t the most effective way or conveying what someone does at Sense. Instead, include a short description of the responsibilities of the person or role. 

Sense intervenor 

Lower case, as with all job titles. An intervenor is someone who has had specific training in understanding the needs of children who are deafblind. This specialist training equips them with the skills to facilitate communication, access to information, concept development and mobility for the person they support. 

it’s and its 

‘It’s’ is a contraction of ‘it is’ – ‘It’s always good to hear from members.’  
‘Its’ is the possessive form of ‘it’ – ‘Sense TouchBase Pears opened its doors to the community.’ Note no apostrophe. 

(Also see apostrophes.) 

italics 

Don’t use. This format makes words more difficult to read for people with a visual impairment. 

job titles 

Job titles aren’t the most effective way or conveying what someone does at Sense. Instead, include a short description of the responsibilities of the person or role.  

—

Labour party 

Capital ‘L’, lower case ‘p’. 

large print 

Two words, lower case. Referencing accessible formats. 

learning difficulty 

Lower case. 
A ‘difficulty’ is different to a ‘disability’ (below). The former may be used when someone experiences problems with specific processing tasks. For example, dyspraxia. Having a learning difficulty does not affect general cognitive ability. 

learning disability 

Lower case. Don’t use ‘mentally handicapped’. 
A ‘difficulty’ is different to a ‘disability’ (above). The latter tends to be linked to overall cognitive impairment. It means that the person finds some skills challenging, such as reading, writing and personal care. You might be born with a learning disability, or you might develop one later in life if you experience a serious illness or injury.  

Left Out of Life, being left out of life 

When referring to the Sense campaign, use capital letters (except for the preposition ‘of’). If you’re referring more generally to the state of being left out, use lower case letters. For instance, Sense ensures that ‘no one is left out of life’ and we might work with people who are at risk of ‘being left out of life’.

lipreading, lipspeaker 

One word, lower case ‘l’. 

Links, hyperlinks in text 

Avoid using generic terms like ‘click here’ and ‘open this page’ when presenting readers and users with a link. The anchor text, the text which holds the link, should include words which are relevant to the page the link is to. For instance, if linking to a page with more information on Usher’s syndrome: ‘see our guide to Usher’s syndrome for more information’ rather than ‘find out more about Usher’s syndrome here.’ 

Learn more about links in the Sense guide to digital content. 

lists 

Format individual points, numbered lists and steps in the same way you would bullet point lists. 
1. Use numerals for lists or write out ‘Step one’ for step-by-step advice. * 
2. Like this. 
3. With full stops after the number. 
*Also see numbers. 

local authority 

Lower case. 

marathon 

Lower case unless talking about a specific race, such as the London Marathon. 

majority 
Use this term only when there is a measurable number, such as ‘the majority of local authorities…’ not ‘they spend the majority of his time baking’. Where the number is just over half, don’t describe it as a majority.  

medical terms 

Always use with care and ensure what you are saying is accurate. Never use medical terms as a negative metaphor, such as ‘schizophrenic’ or ‘geriatric’. 

Sense members 

Use the brand termed when discussing our membership. 

mixed-age class, mixed-sex schools 

Hyphenated. 

MP, Member of Parliament 

Use ‘MP’ or ‘Member of Parliament’. Capital letters when writing out the title in full. 

MS, Member of the Senedd 

Use ‘MS’ or ‘Member of the Senedd’ (Wales). Capital letters when writing out the title in full. 

MSP, Member of the Scottish Parliament 

Use ‘MSP’ or ‘Member of the Scottish Parliament’. Capital letters when writing out the title in full. 

Ms and Mr 

After the first introduction, using the full name, use ‘Ms’ for women and ‘Mr’ for men. 

(Also see names.) 

multi-sensory impairment (MSI) 

One hyphen, between ‘multi’ and ‘sensory’. Lower case. 

(Also see deafblindness.) 

names  

To maintain a friendly tone of voice and express intimacy with the people who give us their stories, we refer to people by their first names after first introduction. So, Richard Kramer at first, then Richard.  
More formal reports should use surnames if appropriate.  

(Also see Ms and Mr.) 

NGO 

Non-governmental organisation, often used when talking about the work of Sense International. 

notetaker 

One word, lower case ‘n’. 

no one 

Two words, as used in ‘no one left out of life’. 

numbers 

Write numbers one to ten out in full. Any higher numbers, from 11 upwards, should be shown as numerals. This rule should also be followed for ordinals, such as ‘Sense was celebrating its 50^th anniversary’. 
Exceptions include numbers at the beginning of a sentence, which should always be written out in full. Such as ‘Two people were invited to the party.’ 
If a sentence uses both small and large numbers, write them all the same way. For instance, ‘each of the 5 hubs contained 12 rooms, each with 11 desks and chairs.’ Note ‘five’ becomes ‘5’. 

(Also see percentages) 

NVQ 

Upper case, unless writing out in full, in which case use lower case: national vocational qualification. When referring to the level, use lower case, so ‘NVQ level two’. 

neurodiverse, neurotypical 
Use this term if this is how someone identifies themselves. Otherwise, try to be specific and use the correct, confirmed condition.  
A group of people with different neurological behaviours from each other may be described, collectively, as ‘neurodiverse’. 

Ofsted 

The Office for Standards in Education, but always referred to as Ofsted. 

older people 

Not elderly. Don’t use ‘OAP’ or ‘pensioners’ either. 

online 

One word, not ‘on-line’. Avoid the hyphenated spelling used in American English. 

Oxford comma 

Sense doesn’t use an Oxford comma, the comma before the final ‘and’ in a list. For example, ‘Jenny baked brownies, cupcakes and shortbread’ rather than ‘brownies, cupcakes, and shortbread.’ 

Exceptions to this include when the final item in the list needs to be distinct, such as ‘Jenny had baked brownies, cupcakes and shortbread, and brewed some tea.’ 

parliament vs the Houses of Parliament 

Lower case when talking generally. Capital ‘P’ when referring to a specific institution, such as the ‘Scottish Parliament’ – ‘Parliament’ thereafter.  

part-time, full-time 

Both hyphenated. 

partially sighted 

No hyphen.  

(Also see visual impairment.) 

percentages, per cent 

Always use ‘%’ next to a number; otherwise use per cent (two words, not one). Percentages should be written numerically. For instance, ‘8.5% of people’. When discussing generally, such as ‘what per cent of the population…’, write it out as two words. 

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) 

Upper case, as with the names of all other benefits. 

person-centred 

Hyphenate. 

plain English 

Use plain English whenever possible. Writing clearly using short words is the key to the reader understanding what you are saying. Avoid using metaphors and words with double meanings. For examples, visit the Plain English Campaign guide. 

possessives – for Sense 

Where possible, refer to ‘Sense services’, ‘Sense members’, ‘the Sense community’.  

In contexts where our brand presence is strong and ownership clear, use ‘our’. Such as ‘our services’ and ‘our community’ when mentioned on our website. 
For external communications, avoid ‘our’ unless you’re confident that the reader will understand that the item discussed belongs to Sense. 

Princess Royal,  

Patron of Sense. Refer to her full designation, ‘Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal’ (‘HRH’ is an acceptable abbreviation). Thereafter, ‘Princess’, ‘The Princess’ or ‘The Princess Royal’ is acceptable. 

programme 

Our preferred term is ‘service’. Never ‘scheme’.  

pronouns 

Be respectful of people’s preferred pronouns: she/her, he/him, they/their. 
If a person’s pronouns affect the clarity of a sentence, use the person’s name. 

quotation marks 

“When writing out a direct quote, use double quotation marks,” said Beatrix. If a quote is used to end a sentence, place the full stop inside the punctuation. “Everyone will follow the Style Guide to the letter,” replied Karen “or else.” 

Single quotation marks should be used for references to document titles.  

(Also see titles, documents) 

racial terminology 

Use ‘ethnicity’, not ‘race’. 
Only include a reference to someone’s ethnicity if it’s relevant to the story. Use terminology set out by the person where possible. It’s better to be specific. Use a capital when discussing ethnic groups. ‘Caribbean’ and ‘Bangladeshi’, not ‘BAME’. Say ‘black people’ not ‘the blacks’. 

references 

See titles. 

retinitis pigmentosa (RP) 

Lower case, two words, no hyphen. 

school 

Use a capital if referring to a specific institution. For instance, ‘the Northern Counties School’, but thereafter ‘the school’. 

seasons 

Lower case: spring, autumn, summer and winter. 

Sense 

Never SENSE or sense. There is a risk, when our name is presented in block capitals, that the reader will think our name is an acronym. Always ‘Sense’. 

sensory impairment 

Lower case, no hyphen. 

service user 

It’s better to talk about ‘people we support’ or ‘people who use Sense services’. This puts the people first, before the service. Avoid ‘PWS’. 

(Also see individuals.) 

Sense services 

To build strong recognition, ‘Sense’ is always used as part of the name for an individual Sense service. Try to avoid ‘our’ unless the context is absolutely clear – such as on a service webpage. 

As the full branded service name is a proper noun, use capital letters (as shown below). Avoid using an ampersand ‘&’, always write ‘and’. 

• Sense Information and Advice 
• Sense Holidays 
• Sense Short Breaks 
• Sense Specialist Services for Children and Young People 
• Sense Arts, Sport and Wellbeing 
• Sense Supported Living 
• Sense Residential Care 
• Sense TouchBase Pears 
• Sense Buddying 
• Sense Virtual Buddying 

When discussing a type of service in general, we don’t use capital letters. 

An example: ‘Sense Holidays provide trips away for disabled people who may not get many opportunities to go on holiday. When you join us for a holiday or short break, we’ll make sure you leave with amazing memories. Go on an adventure with Sense Holidays.’ 

Sense shops 

Lower case for ‘Sense shops’ and ‘Sense charity shops’. 

services  

It’s acceptable to use the term ‘day services’, but our preferred terms are ‘day activities’ or ‘day opportunities’. Don’t use the term ‘day centre’.  

sign language 

Lower case, no hyphen.  

(Also see British Sign Language (BSL).) 

Sight loss 

See visual impairment. 

singular 

If using a singular noun, use the singular form of the verb. Corporate entities take the singular: ‘the BBC has announced’, or ‘Sense has decided’.  
In subsequent references make sure the pronoun is singular: ‘It’ and not ‘they’.  
Sports teams are an exception – ‘The Sense softball team have an excellent season ahead of them.’ 

(Also see collective nouns.) 

special educational needs (SEN) 

Lower case, unless using the abbreviation SEN. 

special educational needs and disability (SEND) 

Lower case, unless using the abbreviation SEND. 

school subjects 

Lower case for all except languages and initialisations, such as ‘French’ and ‘PE’. 

special school 

Lower case. Defined as a school that caters for children with special educational needs. 

spelling 

Use British English (‘realise’, not ‘realize’, ‘organisation’ not ‘organization’, ‘adviser’ not ‘advisor’). Check that your computer spellchecker is set to English (UK). 

strategy 

Lower case. 

syndrome 

Always lower case ‘s’, unless at the beginning of a sentence. 

Talking Sense 

The Sense magazine, capital ‘T’ and ‘S’. 

team names 

Team names aren’t the most effective way or conveying what any one department at Sense does. Instead, include a short description of the responsibilities of the team.  

When it’s absolutely necessary to refer to a team name, use lower case proper nouns of teams – ‘Sense fundraising team’, ‘Sense operations team’, ‘Sense policy team’. 

that and which 

‘That’ always defines, giving essential information.  
‘Which’ usually informs, supplying extra detail. 
‘This is the paper that Adam wrote’ vs ‘This is the finished paper, which was written by Adam last week.’

titles (references) 

When including any titles in your text, such as those of a book, report or campaign, always use normal text with inverted commas. Don’t use italics.  
For instance, “The next issue of ‘Talking Sense’ has been sent to print.” 

time 

Use numerals, following a 12-hour clock. Don’t include spaces or capital letters. We use a full stop instead of a colon between numbers – 9.30pm.  

Sense TouchBase (name does not include Centre) 

One word, capital ‘B’ for ‘Base’. Our TouchBase centre in Birmingham should always be referred to as ‘Sense TouchBase Pears’. 

under- 

Words using this prefix will usually be written as one word: undervalued, underweight, understaffed. 

Usher syndrome 

Capital ‘U’, lower case ‘s’. After the first use, can be referred to as ‘Usher’ but never ‘Ushers’. When describing the type of Usher, use a lower case ‘t’ – Usher type one, Usher type two. 

visual impairment, vision loss 

Lower case, no hyphen. Refer to ‘vision loss’ rather than having a ‘vision impairment’. 

voluntary sector 

Lower case, no hyphen. 

vulnerable people 
Avoid this term. The only time it may be appropriate is in a technical, legal context. Such as when discussing safeguarding. Not appropriate substitute term for ‘disabled people’. 

web, webpage, website, webchat 

One word. 

wellbeing 

One word. 

wheelchair 
Say, only when relevant, that someone uses a wheelchair – they’re a ‘wheelchair user’, Not ‘in a wheelchair’ or ‘wheelchair-bound’. 

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