Creating a campus where all accents are welcome

This blog was kindly authored by Dr Gisela Tomé Lourido (@gisetomelourido.bsky.social), Associate Professor in Sociophonetics at the University of Leeds and Niamh Mullen, Associate Professor in English for Academic Purposes at the University of Leeds.

‘All Accents Welcome’ campaign launch

Everyone has an accent – a way of speaking that reflects different aspects of our identities

Accent variation is a natural feature of spoken language, shaped by our social, geographical, and cultural backgrounds. This diversity enriches our academic and professional environments by bringing a wider range of perspectives and ways of thinking.

Despite this, the linguistic diversity of staff and students is typically overlooked in higher education strategies, discourse and practices. Additionally, accent bias – the automatic associations we make based on how someone speaks – is rarely discussed in academic settings.

 Yet, in the UK, 30% of university students report having their accent mocked or criticised in academic contexts. Similarly, 25% of professionals report experiencing accent-related bias in workplace settings. Recent research conducted by the first author and Professor Julia Snell, and reported in an earlier HEPI blog, has shown that these forms of microaggressions can damage university students’ confidence, reduce participation, and affect their sense of belonging and wellbeing.

At the University of Leeds, we have launched the “All Accents Welcome” campaign: an initiative designed to raise awareness of the importance of accents to individuals’ identities. It highlights how accent bias can affect students’ and colleagues’ experiences and opportunities at university, while promoting the value of the diverse voices that strengthen our community, from all corners of the UK and the world.  

As one contributor to the campaign put it:

My accent is an integral part of who I am. It’s like my cultural identity, my roots.

A campaign amplifying the voices of our community

At the heart of the campaign is a video featuring staff and students sharing what their accents mean to them, and reflecting on the biases they have encountered. 

Through the campaign, we present the University’s new Accent Equality Statement, a policy commitment to welcoming and respecting all accents, the statement aligns with broader institutional efforts to address class, race, gender, and other forms of inequality.

Why accent bias should be on every higher education institutions’s agenda

In the UK, self-consciousness and anxiety about accent bias are highest during university, more than at any other life stage. Judgements about accents are rarely about how someone speaks; they’re about who is speaking. Accent bias is deeply entangled with perceptions of class, race, nationality, gender, sexuality, and disability. It disproportionately affects students who are already navigating structural barriers, particularly those from working-class, racially minoritised, or multilingual backgrounds.

Another contributor to the “All Accents Welcome” campaign said: “I thought twice before speaking in class because I thought I would be mocked at just because the way I spoke.” 

For many students, accent bias adds another layer of complexity to their university experience. It influences how they are heard, how they participate, and how they succeed, not just at university, but in their future careers. While this is fundamentally an equity issue, it also affects key institutional metrics, including student satisfaction, outcomes, continuation, and employability. Yet, it remains under-recognised in most institutional equity and inclusion strategies.

We believe that tackling accent bias must become a sector-wide priority. That means taking a collaborative, interdisciplinary, and holistic approach to create a cultural change where linguistic diversity is recognised as an asset and mocking, and questioning someone’s accent is de-normalised. In our earlier HEPI blog, we outlined four actionable recommendations for higher education institutions:  

1. Raise awareness of the value of linguistic diversity and the impact of accent bias in Higher Education. Deliver campaigns, workshops, and talks using real stories, data, and interactive activities.
2. Embed action to tackle accent bias into policy and practice. Revise institutional policies to include linguistic diversity and accent bias explicitly; incorporate training on accent bias into students and staff induction, and teaching, tutoring, and leadership development; and ensure assessment criteria and feedback are inclusive.

3. Create report and support routes for students and staff who are the target of linguistic discrimination. Complement these with training staff providing support to students.
4. Evaluate impact and identify areas for further change to ensure that efforts to tackle accent bias are effective, sustainable, and responsive to their specific contexts.

From statement to action

At the University of Leeds there is a growing community of staff and students committed to addressing accent bias and embedding this work into institutional practice. The campaign was co-designed with students, academic and professional services staff, and representatives from Leeds University Union, ensuring it reflects a wide range of lived experiences. It forms part of the work of the University’s institutional working group “Tackling Accent Bias”, which is focused on translating the statement into policy and practice, guided by the recommendations outlined above.

Join the conversation

We invite colleagues across the sector to watch our “All Accents Welcome” video and join us in reflecting on how accent bias may be operating in their own institutions. What assumptions do we make based on how someone speaks? How do those assumptions shape our interactions, decisions, and environments?