30 Essential DEIA Terms for an Inclusive Workplace Culture
We continue to evolve, and with us, our understanding of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA). As companies work to make their work environments more accepting and diverse, education has never been more important.
Your commitment to valuing employees’ experiences and identities is a critical factor of business success. It allows people to thrive authentically without fear of judgment, empowering them to perform at their best for themselves and their team.
In this post, we introduce 30 common DEIA terms to better equip you as you contribute to a culture that prioritizes all stories—and the voices that narrate them.
Here are 30 important DEIA words for fostering a safe workplace.
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- Accessibility: The design of experiences, services, settings, and products to suit people of varying abilities.
- Example: An instagram caption includes a description of the presented picture for those with visual impairments.
- Example: An instagram caption includes a description of the presented picture for those with visual impairments.
- Allyship: The practice of an individual or organization using their existing resources to uplift other people groups.
- Example: A male ally speaks up for more women leadership during an important board meeting.
- Example: A male ally speaks up for more women leadership during an important board meeting.
- Antiracism: A commitment to unlearning and dismantling harmful racial biases and creating a more equitable environment.
- Example: A company transforms its hiring practices to diversify its talent pool.
- Example: A company transforms its hiring practices to diversify its talent pool.
- Belonging: A feeling of acceptance within a social setting.
- Example: An employee knows their opinions are valued during team meetings and are motivated to advocate for themselves.
- Example: An employee knows their opinions are valued during team meetings and are motivated to advocate for themselves.
- BIPOC: An acronym for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.
- Example: A Black employee refers to herself as a BIPOC when sharing her experiences unique to her racial identity.
- Example: A Black employee refers to herself as a BIPOC when sharing her experiences unique to her racial identity.
- Conscious bias: A prejudice that the perpetrator recognizes.
- Example: A manager realizes her tendency to favor some employees over others because of their religious background. She works to undo her mistakes.
- Example: A manager realizes her tendency to favor some employees over others because of their religious background. She works to undo her mistakes.
- DEIA: An acronym for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility. It can also be referred to as DEAI.
- Example: A recent DEIA initiative ensures everyone has access to a resource group that fits their needs.
- Example: A recent DEIA initiative ensures everyone has access to a resource group that fits their needs.
- DEIB: An acronym for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.
- Example: A company regularly asks for feedback from its employees to improve workplace culture.
- Example: A company regularly asks for feedback from its employees to improve workplace culture.
- D&I: An acronym for Diversity and Inclusion.
- Example: A large enterprise business hosts a summit where different employees of diverse backgrounds can share their voices and discuss better D&I policies.
- Example: A large enterprise business hosts a summit where different employees of diverse backgrounds can share their voices and discuss better D&I policies.
- Diversity: The appreciation of people’s differences in race, gender, age, sexuality, and more.
- Example: A diverse team can empower one another by filling knowledge gaps and leveraging various strengths to collectively move toward success.
- Example: A diverse team can empower one another by filling knowledge gaps and leveraging various strengths to collectively move toward success.
- Equity: Fair treatment of all people by ensuring that everyone gets access to resources and opportunities to fit their individual needs.
- Example: An equitable service provider adds additional bilingual customer service representatives to communicate with non-english speaking customers.
- Example: An equitable service provider adds additional bilingual customer service representatives to communicate with non-english speaking customers.
- Employee resource group (ERG): An employee-led group that fosters inclusivity and belonging for different identities.
- Example: A women’s ERG hosts an all-day event where speakers discuss leadership development and women’s empowerment to guide their members’ career journeys.
- Example: A women’s ERG hosts an all-day event where speakers discuss leadership development and women’s empowerment to guide their members’ career journeys.
- Ethnicity: A category of people who identify themselves based on language, history, culture, tradition, or nation.
- Example: Although an employee’s nationality is American, she still identifies strongly with her ethnic Korean background.
- Example: Although an employee’s nationality is American, she still identifies strongly with her ethnic Korean background.
- Feminism: A social movement that advocates for gender equity while advancing women’s rights in all levels of society.
- Example: A feminist workplace ensures that everyone has paternal leave if they become a parent.
- Example: A feminist workplace ensures that everyone has paternal leave if they become a parent.
- Gender bias: A prejudice influenced by someone’s assumptions on gender.
- Example: A manager underestimates his female associate and gives her less responsibilities for being a new mother.
- Example: A manager underestimates his female associate and gives her less responsibilities for being a new mother.
- Gender identity: An individual’s sense of gender and how it defines their personhood.
- Example: A company ensures a safe workplace by honoring everyone’s chosen names and pronouns.
- Example: A company ensures a safe workplace by honoring everyone’s chosen names and pronouns.
- Inclusion: The act of fostering an environment where everyone feels welcomed and included regardless of their background.
- Example: A C-suite leader helps create an internal mentorship program to empower and equip underrepresented employees.
- Example: A C-suite leader helps create an internal mentorship program to empower and equip underrepresented employees.
- Inequity: A type of injustice that permeates society and creates barriers to success.
- Example: A POC entry-level employee feels that their ideas are often overlooked during important strategy meetings because of their background and title.
- Example: A POC entry-level employee feels that their ideas are often overlooked during important strategy meetings because of their background and title.
- Intersectionality: The layers of a person’s identity such as race, gender, and sexuality, and how each categorization affects their experiences.
- Example: A woman of color reflects on how people have treated her because of her gender and race.
- Example: A woman of color reflects on how people have treated her because of her gender and race.
- Microaggression: A subtle, seemingly harmless statement or action that insinuates a negative assumption about another person.
- Example: Despite being warned multiple times, a colleague repeatedly misgenders a fellow peer because of their personal appearance.
- Example: Despite being warned multiple times, a colleague repeatedly misgenders a fellow peer because of their personal appearance.
- Neurodiversity: Behavioral and cognitive differences that influence certain ways of thinking.
- Example: Someone with ADHD can benefit from a flexible work option that allows them to work at their pace while ensuring high performance.
- Example: Someone with ADHD can benefit from a flexible work option that allows them to work at their pace while ensuring high performance.
- Oppression: A systemic form of injustice that limits certain people groups from fair treatment.
- Example: A company building does not provide adequate wheelchair access for disabled employees.
- Example: A company building does not provide adequate wheelchair access for disabled employees.
- Performative allyship: A seemingly supportive, but surface-level effort to empower different people groups, usually for one’s social benefit for doing so.
- Example: Although leaders agree to voice their support for Black Lives Matter on social media, their hiring practices do not reflect their DEIA commitments.
- Example: Although leaders agree to voice their support for Black Lives Matter on social media, their hiring practices do not reflect their DEIA commitments.
- POC: An acronym standing for People of Color, referring to those who don’t identify as white.
- Example: Proud of her South Asian heritage, a thought leader in tech refers to herself as a person of color during her keynote.
- Example: Proud of her South Asian heritage, a thought leader in tech refers to herself as a person of color during her keynote.
- Race: A social construct that profiles people based on their physical appearance. It’s important to note that racial categorizations have changed overtime.
- Example: A common racial equity initiative may be to diversify hiring practices to address certain disparities.
- Example: A common racial equity initiative may be to diversify hiring practices to address certain disparities.
- Religious identity: An individual’s sense of self and belonging based on their religious beliefs.
- Example: Despite being raised under her family’s religion, a woman decides she no longer identifies with its doctrine.
- Example: Despite being raised under her family’s religion, a woman decides she no longer identifies with its doctrine.
- Sexual orientation: A person’s physical and emotional attraction to others depending on their sex or gender.
- Example: To ensure equitable healthcare benefits, a company offers gender-affirming treatment coverage for its employees.
- Example: To ensure equitable healthcare benefits, a company offers gender-affirming treatment coverage for its employees.
- Unconscious bias: An incorrect and insensitive stereotype one may believe about others without awareness.
- Example: Emboldened by her community, an associate confronts her boss about his assumption she cannot commit to physical labor like her male peers.
- Example: Emboldened by her community, an associate confronts her boss about his assumption she cannot commit to physical labor like her male peers.
- Underrepresented: People groups that lack representation.
- Example: Certain industries are still male-dominated despite there being more than enough women who are capable of excelling in the same roles.
- Example: Certain industries are still male-dominated despite there being more than enough women who are capable of excelling in the same roles.
- Underserved: Populations of people who cannot access resources necessary for survival and success.
- Example: An online education platform offers mentorship and employment services for its underserved students.
- Accessibility: The design of experiences, services, settings, and products to suit people of varying abilities.
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