The Inclusive Innovation Playbook

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The Inclusive Innovation Playbook

Glossary

Definition of key terms

Diving into the world of diversity and inclusion can bring up some new terms. We have created a helpful glossary for you to refer to when you get stuck or come across a term you are not familiar with.

To progress collectively on our diversity and inclusion journey we need to get more comfortable with uncomfortable conversations.

Build your understanding key terms to help to build your confidence and overcome the fear of saying the wrong thing.

The terms in the glossary are grouped thematically, however you can use the search bar if you are looking for a specific term.

General terms

Ally: A person who supports and advocates for a marginalised group or community that they do not personally belong to. Allyship is not something you think. It is something you do.

Affirmative Action: Positive steps taken to increase the representation of women and minorities in areas of employment, education, and culture from which they have been historically excluded.

Belonging: The feeling of being a valued member of a group, community, or organisation.

Code Switching: The process of adapting one's behaviour, language, or appearance to align with societal norms and expectations based on various contextual factors such as race, gender, and social status. Code switching can be a way for marginalised people to navigate dominant cultural norms and be accepted, but can also lead to stress, exhaustion, and a loss of authenticity.

DEI: Diversity, equity and inclusion.

Diversity: The presence of different individuals and groups in an organisation or community, encompassing differences in race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, ability, and other personal and cultural characteristics.

Equality: Providing everyone with the same resources and opportunities regardless of their personal background and individual needs.

Equity: Recognising that everyone has different needs and circumstances, and resources and opportunities are allocated to allow everyone to reach an equal outcome.

Implicit bias: Unconscious attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unintentional manner.

Inclusion: An environment where all individuals feel valued and respected, have a sense of belonging, and are able to participate fully and meaningfully in all aspects of an organisation or community.

Intersectionality: The complex way in which the effects of multiple forms of discrimination (such as racism, sexism, and homophobia) combine, overlap, compound or intersect, especially in the experiences of marginalised individuals or groups.

Microaggressions: Everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to people based on their social identity.

Privilege: Unearned benefits and advantages that a person enjoys as a result of their social identity (e.g. race, gender, class).

Psychological safety: A workplace culture in which individuals feel accepted, respected, and valued for who they are, and feel free to express themselves, share their opinions, and take risks without fear of retaliation, criticism, or negative consequences.

Representation: The extent to which different groups are reflected in a particular context, such as in the workforce, media, or decision-making processes.

Stereotyping: A widely held, oversimplified, and inaccurate generalisation about a group of people.

Systemic bias: Bias that is built into the policies, procedures, and structures of organisations, institutions, and society.

Gender and sexuality

AFAB: Assigned female at birth

AMAB: Assigned male at birth

Cisgender (or cis): A term used to describe individuals whose gender identity aligns with the gender they were assigned at birth.

Deadnaming: the use of a former name (a “dead” name) of a transgender/nonbinary person without their consent.

Gender identity: The gender that an individual sees themselves as, regardless of the gender they were assigned at birth.

Gender expression: The way a person expresses themself through their appearance, behaviour, actions, clothing, language, make up and mannerisms.

Gender non-conforming (or GNC): A term used to describe individuals who do not conform to traditional societal expectations of gender roles and behaviours. This can include individuals who are transgender or non-binary, as well as individuals who identify as cisgender but do not conform to traditional gender expressions for their assigned gender.

Misgendering: Referring to or describing a person using language that doesn’t align with their affirmed gender.

Nonbinary (also spelled non-binary): An umbrella term used to describe individuals who do not identify exclusively as male/man or female/woman, and may identify as a mix of both or as neither. This can include individuals who identify as gender-fluid, genderqueer, or having a gender identity that cannot be contained within the concept of the gender binary.

Romantic orientation: A person’s pattern of romantic attraction towards one or more genders.

Sexual orientation: A person’s pattern of sexual attraction towards one or more genders.

Transgender (or trans): An umbrella term used to describe individuals whose gender identity differs from the gender they were assigned at birth. This can include individuals who have undergone medical or surgical procedures to alter their body to align with their gender identity, as well as individuals who have not.

The term "LGBTQIA+" stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual and others. Each term represents a specific identity:

"Lesbian" usually refers to a woman who has a romantic and/or sexual orientation toward women. Some nonbinary people also identify with this term.

"Gay" refers to a person who is attracted to people of the same gender.

"Bisexual" refers to a person who is attracted to people of different genders.

"Transgender" (also shortened to “trans”) refers to a person whose gender does not match the gender they were assigned at birth.

"Queer” refers to a broad spectrum of non-normative gender and sexual identities and politics. While considered a reclaimed term by an increasingly larger number of people, some individuals and movements within the LGBTQIA+ community disapprove of the use of the term.

“Questioning" refers to a person who is exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity.

“Intersex” refers to a person who is born with a combination of physical sex characteristics that cannot be traditionally classified as male or female. Variations may appear in an individual’s chromosomes, hormones, genitalia, gonads, secondary sex characteristics, or some combination of these.

“Asexual” (also shortened to “ace”) refers to a person whose sexual orientation is defined by lack of sexual attraction. An asexual person may experience the desire to have sex with others occasionally, under specific conditions, or never.

"+" represents the recognition of other non-normative identities, orientations and labels within the LGBTQIA+ community that may not be fully represented by the acronym.

Disability and neurodiversity

Ability: A term used to describe a person's functional capacities, including physical, sensory, and cognitive abilities.

Accessibility: The design of products, devices, services, or environments that are usable by people with disabilities.

Accessibility testing: The process of evaluating a product, service, or environment for its accessibility features, and determining if it is usable by people with disabilities.

Adaptive technology: Any device or software application that has been modified or altered to support individuals with disabilities in performing everyday tasks.

Assistive technology: Any device or software application that provides additional support to individuals with disabilities to help them participate in everyday activities and engage with the world around them.

Disability: A physical or mental condition that, without additional support, limits a person's ability to carry out some daily activities.

Neurodiversity: The variation of individual neurological function in different people within a group of people. Any group of people is neurodiverse.

Neurodevelopmental/neurodivergent condition: A set of lifelong conditions, associated primarily with the functioning of the neurological system and brain.

Reasonable accommodation: Modifications or adjustments to the workplace that enable individuals with disabilities to perform their job functions.

Social/medical model of disability: These models are scientific perspectives of disability. The medical model of disability posits that variations from the numerical norm are abnormal, need to be fixed. Assessment is based on deficits and seeks to reduce or remove symptoms. It puts the responsibility of adapting on the individual. This is how societies have long treated disabled individuals. The social model, on the other hand, recognises that the barriers to disabled people are a result of societal priorities and decisions and it is society’s responsibility to make sure disabled people are granted access. It is the societal factors (attitudes, environment, physical barriers) that are disabling, rather than the individual.

Universal design: The design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood, and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their abilities, disabilities, or other differences.

Ethnicity and culture

BAME: A UK-specific term used to describe people who are Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic. Although commonly used there is much debate about the appropriateness of the term and the UK Government made a commitment in 2022 to stop using it.

BIPOC: Black, Indigenous, and ‘People of Colour’ is a term used to describe individuals who are not White, and it is often used in the United States.

Culture: The beliefs, values, customs, practices, and social behaviours that make up a group's shared way of life.

Cultural appropriation: The act of taking elements of one culture and using them in another, without understanding or respecting their cultural significance.

Cultural competency: The ability to understand, appreciate, and work effectively with people from diverse cultures.

Cultural diversity: The range of cultural differences within a society, including differences in language, religion, values, beliefs, and social practices.

Ethnicity: A shared cultural heritage, ancestry, language, or history that defines a group of people.

Race: A social construct categorising individuals based on physical characteristics such as skin colour, hair texture, and facial features.

Racism: The belief that some races are inherently superior to others, and the discriminatory behaviour that follows from this belief.

Systemic racism: Racism that is built into the structures and institutions of society, leading to ongoing racial inequality.

White privilege: The unearned benefits and advantages that come with being white in a predominantly white society.

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Feedback please⁠

: Let us know what other terms to include or if you’d suggest any changes to the descriptions.

General terms

Gender and sexuality

Disability and neurodiversity

Ethnicity and culture

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