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 |
|---|---|
| Identity |
A person’s innermost concept of self. How an individual perceives themselves and what they call themselves. The fact of being who or what they are. |
| Identity-first Language |
Wording about a person that leads with a description of them in the context of a disability, acknowledging that the person holds the condition as an important piece of their identity. Some within the disability community oppose person-first language. They believe that if language is needed to separate them from a trait of theirs, it suggests that the trait is negative. They may prefer to use identity-first language because they feel the trait is a core component of their identity. Communities that prefer identity-first language tend to be those centered on different ways of perceiving or interacting with the world. For example, the Deaf community or the Autistic community. These communities have often developed a culture and sense of pride around their disability identity and don’t view it as an impairment. Ask an individual’s preference when writing about one person. Examples: an Autistic man, Deaf children, Blind people, wheelchair users, she is Neurodivergent |
| Inclusion |
Intentionally designed, active, and ongoing engagement with people that ensures opportunities and pathways for participation in all aspects of group, organization, or community, including decision-making processes. Inclusion is not a natural consequence of diversity. There must be intentional and consistent efforts to create and sustain a participative environment. Inclusion refers to how groups show that people are valued as respected members of the group, team, organization, or community. Inclusion is often created through progressive, consistent actions to expand, include, and share. |
| Inclusive Design |
A design process that aims to create products, services, or environments that are usable for as many people as possible, particularly groups who are traditionally excluded from being able to use an interface or navigate an environment. The world around us is full of design – meaning things, places, and experiences that were created with intention. Think about the choices that were made in designing the building you live in, or the technology you use. Have you ever boarded a plane? Attended a wedding? Sat too long at a traffic light? Someone designed each of these experiences. Mismatches between people and objects or situations, physical or digital, happen when the object or situation wasn’t designed to fit the person’s needs. Sometimes designed objects reject their users: a computer mouse that doesn't work for left-handed people, for example, or a touchscreen payment system that only works for people who read English phrases, have 20/20 vision, and use a credit card. Something as simple as color choices can render a product unusable for millions. People often must adapt themselves to make an object or situation work. Inclusive Design involves planning, testing, and creating objects and experiences for—and alongside—people with a wide variety of backgrounds, needs, abilities, and lived experiences. This approach ensures that a greater number of people will be able to access and benefit from the object or experience. |
| Indigenous Sovereignty |
Sovereignty which is distinguishable from Tribal Sovereignty in that it is not a nation-state recognition of inherent sovereignty under nation-state dominion. Rather, it arises from Indigenous Traditional Knowledge, belonging to each Indigenous nation, tribe, first nation, community, etc. “Indigenous” refers to peoples and communities who are the original inhabitants of a region, having predated the arrival of settler populations and maintained a continuous connection to their traditional territories. This term is globally recognized and used to describe groups that have historical ties to their land that stretch back centuries, often before these areas were colonized or incorporated into modern nation-states. |
| Institutional Racism |
The Policies and practices within and across institutions that, intentionally or not, produce outcomes that chronically favor or place one racial group at a disadvantage. The overlapping and intersectionality of personal charcteristics, including race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability, determine the degree of disadvantage. Examples of institutional racism can be found in school disciplinary policies in which students of color are punished at much higher rates than their white counterparts; in the criminal justice system; and within many employment sectors where day-to-day operations, as well as hiring and firing practices, significantly impact workers of color in a negative manner.
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| Intersectionality |
Intersectionality is a framework for understanding the interaction of cultures and identities held by an individual. Intersectionality explains how an individual with multiple identities that may have been marginalized can experience compounded oppression (such as racism, sexism, and classism) or how an individual can experience privilege in some areas and disadvantage in other areas. It takes into account people’s overlapping identities to understand the complexity of their life outcomes and experiences. |
| Islamophobia |
Irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against Islam or people who are Muslim or are perceived to be Muslim. |
