Glossary

This acronym stands for: Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer (or Questioning), Intersex, Asexual. The plus sign (+) represents all the different, new and growing ways that people might identify with, as well as the ways that we continually expand our understanding of sexual and gender diversity.

Ableism is a systemic and structural form of oppression that stems from the attitude and belief that disabled people are inferior. It underpins individual discrimination and systemic barriers and inequities against people with disabilities. Ableist beliefs include the fear of becoming disabled, as well as the fear of disabled people. It engenders the erasure and invisibility of disabled people, which leads to inaccessible places, processes, and groups.

According to Article 9 of the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, accessibility enables disabled people to participate fully in all aspects of life, on an equal basis with others, and to access services, employment, information and communications, physical environments, and transportation.

a person(s) who actively opposes or is hostile to the protagonist

The active process of identifying and eliminating racism by changing systems, organizational structures, policies, practices and attitudes, so that power is redistributed and shared equitably.

The feeling of being accepted, valued, and respected as an individual within a group or organization, regardless of identity or background. It's about feeling a sense of connection and psychological safety, where one can be their authentic self without fear of judgment or exclusion.

Disability is a complex phenomenon, reflecting an interaction between features of a person’s body and mind and features of the society in which they live. Because of its complexity, there is no single, harmonized “operational” definition of disability.

A disability can occur at any time in a person’s life; some people are born with a disability, while others develop a disability later in life. It can be permanent, temporary or episodic. Disability can be a sense of identity, community, and pride.

Differences in the social identities and lived experiences and perspectives of people that may include race, ethnicity, colour, ancestry, place of origin, political belief, religion, marital status, family status, physical disability, mental disability, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, class, and/or socio-economic situations. These personal characteristics are protected grounds under the Canadian human rights legislation

Differences in the social identities and lived experiences and perspectives of people that may include race, ethnicity, colour, ancestry, place of origin, political belief, religion, marital status, family status, physical disability, mental disability, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, class, and/or socio-economic situations.

Equity refers to achieving parity in policy, process and outcomes for historically, persistently, or systemically marginalized people and groups while accounting for diversity.

The feeling that you’re not good enough or don’t truly belong, even when you’ve earned your place. People with imposter syndrome often doubt their abilities and fear being “found out” as a fraud.

An active, intentional, and continuous process to address inequities in power and privilege, and to build a respectful and diverse community that ensures welcoming spaces and opportunities to flourish for all.

The interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity as they apply to a given individual or group. Intersectional identities create overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage.

A social process by which individuals or groups are (intentionally or unintentionally) distanced from access to power and resources and constructed as insignificant, peripheral, or less valuable/privileged to a community or “mainstream” society. The term ‘minoritized’ is also used to connote the same meaning.

A social process by which individuals or groups are (intentionally or unintentionally) distanced from access to power and resources and constructed as insignificant, peripheral, or less valuable/privileged to a community or “mainstream” society.

A comment or action that demeans or marginalized the recipient

Unconscious behaviours that minimize the lived realities of a minority group, such as denying existence of racism, regarding minorities as foreigners.

Conscious and explicit behaviours that are intended to purposefully hurt a person.

A stereotype that suggests certain marginalized groups (often Asian communities) are more successful, hardworking, or well-behaved than others. It creates unfair pressure to be perfect, hides real struggles, and is often used to dismiss the need for equity.

Describes the idea that people experience and interact with the world around them in many different ways; there is no one "right" way of thinking, learning, and behaving, and differences are not viewed as deficits.

the leading character

The presence and visibility of individuals from diverse backgrounds, particularly within an organization or group. However, representation is not just about having a diverse group of people; it's about ensuring that these individuals are meaningfully represented in decision-making processes, leadership positions, and throughout the organization's structure

When someone stands out—because of success, confidence, or ambition—and others criticize, exclude, or try to "cut them down" because they don’t fit the expected role based on their background, appearance, or identity.

Occurs when you include people from underrepresented backgrounds just to look diverse without providing real support or growth opportunities for these individuals. It's a surface-level approach to diversity.

This expression refers to the diverse communities of people whose gender is different from the gender that they were assigned at birth. This phrase attempts to capture a shared experience with, and relationship to, gender, rather than specific identities; people may use many different words to describe their gender identity.

It is a cultural concept specific to some Indigenous communities and its meaning encompasses cultural, spiritual, sexual and gender identity. It reflects complex Indigenous understandings of gender roles, spirituality, and the long history of sexual and gender diversity in Indigenous cultures, and as such should only be used by Indigenous people.

It is a teaching approach that works to accommodate the needs and abilities of all learners and eliminates unnecessary hurdles in the learning process. This means developing a flexible learning environment in which information is presented in multiple ways, students engage in learning in a variety of ways, and students are provided options when demonstrating their learning.