A university has asked its staff not to use words like "pensioner" and "elderly". The University of Manchester believes terms such as these are "ageist".
According to The Telegraph, workers at the university have been requested to call people aged 60 and over "mature individuals" instead, in a report on inclusive language in the school's guide. The report said: "Only include age if it is relevant, for example with initiatives that are only available for a particular age group.
"Don't use age as a means to describe an individual or group where it is not relevant, such as 'mature workforce' or 'young and vibrant team'. We actively avoid ageist terms such as 'elderly', 'OAPs [old-age pensioner]', 'pensioners' or 'youngsters', instead using terms that are objective."
