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 |
|---|---|
| Underrepresented |
This term refers to populations, of employees, for example, that are dispropotionately lower in number relative to their number in the national/state population. |
| Universal Accessibility (or Design) |
Planning, creating, and building products, places, and information with accessibility, equity, and inclusiveness at the forefront so all people can interact in a meaningful way to the greatest extent possible. |
| Western-centrism |
The tendency to believe that Western society values, standards, and norms are superior to those of other cultures. |
| Wheelchair User |
A person with a disability who uses the mobility equipment of a wheelchair as part of their personal space to assist them in navigating the world in an equitable manner as those who are able-bodied. The equipment is often considered an extension of their bodies, in a similar manner as someone’s limbs. A wheelchair user does not need to be paralyzed or partially paralyzed to require use of a wheelchair. • Ambulatory Wheelchair User – A person with a disability who, under certain circumstances, can sometimes walk without support, but often needs a wheelchair to help them get around. Much stigma surrounds ambulatory wheelchair users largely due to misconceptions that wheelchair users must be paralyzed or partially paralyzed and entirely unable to walk. Multiple disabilities benefit from use of wheelchairs as ambulatory wheelchair users to navigate joint instability, muscle weakness, tremors, neurological conditions, severe chronic pain, heart conditions, and other similar medical issues, allowing them to get from point A to point B without harm or medical complications, and such use is valid and upheld under the Americans with Disabilities Act and related protections. |
| White Supremacy |
A political, economic, and cultural system in which white people are believed to be the normal, better, smarter, and holier race over all other races. This system entitles whites with overwhelming control, power, and material resources. Conscious and unconscious ideas of white superiority and entitlement are widespread. White dominance and non-white subordination are daily reenacted across a broad array of institutions and social settings. A white supremacy mindset is perpetuated when elements of this system are not named, agreed to, or actively undone. |
| White-Dominant Culture |
Culture defined by white people with social and positional power, enacted both broadly in society and within the context of social entities such as organizations. See Dominant Culture28 and White Supremacy29.
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| Workforce Diversity |
Workforce Diversity means a collection of individual attributes that together help agencies pursue organizational objectives efficiently and effectively. These include, but are not limited to, characteristics such as national origin, language, race, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, veteran status, political beliefs, communication styles, and family structures. The concept also encompasses differences among people about where they are from, where they have lived, and their differences of thought and life experiences. See Diversity30.
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| Worldview Ideology |
A given culture’s notion of what is important and valuable as an expression of, and interpretation of human existence constitute its worldview or ideology . World cultures show variations in how people interpret, evaluate, and conceptualize what it means to be human. |
| Xenophobia |
A term for fear, anger, intolerance, resentment, hatred, discomfort, or mistrust that one may have toward people from other countries. The term can also connote a fear, disgust, or dislike of being perceived a person is from other countries. |
