Although diversity isn’t a new sector, it is developing rapidly and diversity, equity and inclusivity initiatives are now integral to efforts to achieve positive change within organizations. Definitions and terminology are evolving. Different jurisdictions have been using varied acronyms and EDI/DEI/IDE seem to be used interchangeably which can cause confusion among people outside academia and those working in the field. Members of the consulting community have proposed the addition of accessibility as a discrete fourth factor in the assessment of organizations. With that adjustment, the acronym “IDEA” has emerged.
IDEA is the umbrella term for the different factors that contribute to realizing organizational excellence through an improved culture: inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility.
Inclusion
Inclusion is creating a culture that embraces, respects, accepts, and values diversity. A workplace or corporate culture may present itself as diverse without inclusivity. An “Our Team” page on a website may show the diversity of gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, and age and may also include persons with disabilities, but a particular demographic may dominate senior management. The organization has a diverse staff, but the culture falls short of inclusivity since senior management is not diverse. In addition, informal segregation among the workforce may occur, with certain roles disproportionately occupied by people from identifiable groups.
Without an active commitment to inclusion, chances for promotion, mentoring and other opportunities tend to go to people favored by those in power. Embracing active inclusion as a value for the organization shifts the culture from a passive and ineffective ideal to an equitable environment providing genuine opportunities for all. The result is not only good for employee morale; it can increase innovation and productivity by liberating the previously unseen talents of the workforce.
Diversity
Diversity has several elements. An article[1] from Alliant University argues that there are four types of diversity:
Internal, the characteristics the individual is born into and cannot change;
External, characteristics that are related to the person but are learned and may change;
Organizational or functional diversity which relates to assigned roles in an organization with two or more persons; and
Worldview diversity encompasses the previous three and relates to political beliefs, moral values, epistemology and outlook on life. A person’s worldview may change over time as they gain experience.
Diversity, therefore, is the wide variety of unique characteristics to be found among humans. Populations are diverse. As noted above, organizations can be made up of individuals from many backgrounds and personal characteristics, but inclusivity is the key to a dynamic culture that supports the maximum potential of each person.
Equity
Equity exists when the organizational culture enables all people to participate, perform, and engage to the same extent. Equity differs from equality in that equity includes the assessment of outcomes, whereas equality is measured by whether or not participants received an equal portion of whatever is being shared.
For example, imagine a group of people at a summer camp. The group includes physically active adults, sedentary adults and young children. It’s time for lunch. How is the food divided? Equality dictates equal portions for each person, regardless of their individual need, but this would result in some people being left hungry and others unable to eat all they are given. Equity, on the other hand, would mean different portions for each person according to their individual needs, with the outcome being that everybody is satisfied and no food is wasted.
Belonging
In plain language, belonging is a feeling of psychological safety that enables someone to be their true self—and in the workplace, being able to contribute authentic thoughts and ideas without fear of backlash or retribution. I’ve heard some say that belonging is part of the concept of inclusion and many widely circulating definitions agree. Others recognize that inclusion, alongside diversity and equity, most often describes the mechanics we use to create belonging. Inclusion is the action while belonging is the desired outcome. Someone may be included but not belong. After all, being invited to the table doesn’t guarantee that you feel comfortable speaking, or that your ideas will be accepted for their value.
To put it another way, diversity, equity, and inclusion are the instruments while belonging is the symphony. You may ensure that the flutes, cellos, and drums are individually perfect, but it’s only when they work together that they can create art.
It’s true that belonging is a high bar to set. It’s harder to measure. It manifests differently from person to person. Crucially, it relies on both employer and employee to make it happen. An employer can prioritize everything “correctly” and give their best effort, only to find that an employee never quite feels like they belong.
In June 2021, President Biden signed the Executive Order on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce into law. Its goal was to “reestablish a coordinated government-wide initiative to promote diversity and inclusion in the federal workforce and expand scope to include equity and accessibility.”
The significance of adding an A to DEI
Disability is growing within the population, so adding accessibility to the narrative of diversity and inclusion will become an even more significant issue over time. To call out that the issue of accessibility is not just to the built environment, but to the access of information and technologies is a big step forward.
However, it’s important to note that accessibility doesn’t only apply to the demographic of people with disabilities. The reason DEI is a problem at organizations is because of access who also addressed why diverse populations are not represented equitably in companies at large. Adding accessibility to the DEI equation puts the onus on the organization about the actions they’re going to take to make the company more accessible for everyone.
Benefits from adding accessibility practices
Typically when someone thinks of an accessibility practice in the workplace, they picture physical accommodations like a wheelchair ramp, elevator or a screen reader, but accessibility extends past that. The accommodations of tomorrow are flexible and personalize the experience for each person. And when you think about it that way, accommodations will benefit everyone, not just the disability community.
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