Washington State Glossary for Inclusive & Equitable Workplaces
Welcome to the 4th version of the Glossary for Inclusive & Equitable Workplaces, previously known as the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging glossary!
The intent of this glossary is to provide state employees with a compilation of equity-related terms and their meanings. When we have a shared vocabulary and agree on the meaning of the words we use, we are better able to collaborate across departments, teams, and the communities that we serve.
Words carry meaning, power, and impact. It is important that we understand the meanings, recognize the power, and demonstrate reflection, continual learning, and accountability for the impact of the words we use in Washington State government. It is also important to understand that the human beings who are educating us about these terms are living the identities and experiences described in this glossary.
Because people are continually evolving, the words we use to describe them need to evolve as well. This resource is meant to support the work of improving access, advancing equity, and eliminating systemic racism and other forms of oppression from the work we do. This is not meant to serve as a primary resource in any specialized area such as law, medicine, or academia.
Thank you to the Washington State Business Resource Groups, the Washington State DEI Council Glossary Workgroup, The Department of Health, Department of Enterprise Services, Office of Equity, OFM Communications for your hard work and dedication to this body of work. The work that was poured into this version will directly impact those who experience disparities, exclusion, and systemic oppression in the workplace. Thanks to your vital contribution to this work our state will have a practical resource guiding us to maintain a growth mindset while affirming and embodying diversity, equity, inclusion, antiracism, and belonging every step of the way.
You may request a Glossary Edit if you would like a term added to or a definition edited in this glossary. Please note that the review committee meets quarterly to review these submissions and is committed to the shared-power process, so these edits make take several months to research and to respond to.
Term |
Definition |
|---|---|
| Ability |
The quality or state of having — or being perceived as having — the physical, mental, or legal means or skill or power to do something. Ability is not permanent, can fluctuate throughout one’s life, and is another aspect of diversity in our communities. Disabilities do not necessarily limit people unless society imposes assumptions that do not account for the variation in people’s abilities. |
| Ableism |
Discrimination and social prejudice against people with disabilities based in the belief that people without current disabilities are superior, have a better quality of life, or have lives that are more valuable or worth living than people with an actual, perceived, or non-apparent disability resulting in othering, oppression, prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination. Ableism comes in all forms, from overt prejudice to more subtle microaggressions and includes social habits, practices, regulations, laws, and institutions that operate under the assumption that people with disabilities are inherently less capable overall, less valuable in society, and/or should have less personal autonomy than is ordinarily granted to people of the same age. Ableism is a concept similar to racism, sexism, and ageism in that it includes stereotypes, generalizations, and demeaning views and language to the point of diminishing individuals and their experiences and perpetuating violent oppression. See Disablism1.
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| Access |
The ability, freedom, or permission to locate, get, or use information, resources, physical and virtual places, and people. See Accessibility2.
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| Accessibility |
Being able to interact with products, devices, services, information, or environments in meaningful ways, with equal effectiveness and ease of use, regardless of ability. See Access3. Examples of Access versus Accessibility: • Access: You can locate the building. Accessibility: There is a ramp to enter the building. • Access: You can get to the website. Accessibility: The website is compatible with screen reader technology. • Access: You can locate a person to connect with. Accessibility: You can communicate meaningfully with the person with assistance from an interpreter.
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| Acculturation |
Process through which a person or group from one culture comes to adopt the practices and values of different cultures, while still retaining their own distinct culture. |
| Adultism |
Prejudice and discrimination against young people in favor of older people. |
| Aesthetics |
Describes those perceptual properties (i.e., auditory, visual, tactile, and so on) that we like and that we don’t like. |
| Ageism |
Oppression, prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination based on a person’s actual or perceived age. The dominant culture assigns value based on a person’s actual or perceived age. |
| Ally |
A person of one social identity group who advocates with and supports members of another group, typically, a member of the dominant identity advocating with and supporting a marginalized group. While people can identify as allies, allyship is an active practice, more than an identity |
| American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) |
Term referring to people codified in federal law, with a unique status based on the trust responsibility that the United States has to protect and provide for Tribes and their people in exchange for millions of acres of ceded lands and resources. Tribal relationships with the federal government are outlined in treaties and presidential executive orders that are in full effect today. |
| Anti-racism |
A process of actively identifying and opposing racism … rooted in action … which advances policies and ideas that reduce racial inequities at the individual, institutional, and/or structural level. |
| Antisemitism |
A certain perception of Jews which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions, and religious facilities. |
| Assimilate |
The phenomenon that occurs when people belonging to the non-dominant group adjust or integrate their behaviors or attitudes in an attempt to be accepted into the dominant group’s cultural norms, either willingly or forcibly, for the sake of personal and/or professional survival (i.e., to gain/sustain access to the same opportunities and resources as the dominant group). |
| Assistive Technology (AT) |
Any item, piece of equipment, software program, or product system that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of persons with disabilities: • Low-tech: communication boards made of cardboard or fuzzy felt • High-tech: special-purpose computers • Hardware: prosthetics, mounting systems, and positioning devices • Computer hardware: special switches, keyboards, and pointing devices • Computer software: screen readers and communication programs • Inclusive or specialized learning materials and curriculum aids • Specialized curricular software • Electronic devices, smart phone applications, wheelchairs, walkers, braces, educational software, power lifts, pencil holders, eye-gaze and head trackers, and more Assistive technology helps people who have difficulty speaking, typing, writing, remembering, pointing, seeing, hearing, learning, walking, and many other actions. Different disabilities require different assistive technologies. |
| Audism |
The notion that one is superior based on one’s ability to hear or to behave in the manner of one who hears. This is a form of discrimination directed against the people who are deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing. |
| Authentic-Self |
Acting in alignment with your identity. Based on varied circumstances, it may be expressed or suppressed. Identity can change and evolve over time. |
