A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
Ableism
A set of beliefs, stereotypes, and practices that devalue and discriminate against people with disabilities, including physical, intellectual, or psychiatric. Ableism operates on the assumption that non-disabled bodies and minds are the “normal” or “default” standard, and can imply that persons with disabilities need to be “fixed” in order to fit this societal norm.
Accessibility
The ease with which individuals access services, facilities, or opportunities needed for daily tasks. It spans the entire journey from origin to destination, ensuring individuals can engage in necessary interactions and have services available to enhance their quality of life without encountering barriers. Accessibility also refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for persons with disabilities.
Accessible Canada Act (ACA)
A federal law mandating Canada to become accessible and to be without barriers by 2040 for all people, but specifically for persons with disabilities. The act focuses on employment, environment, and information and communication technologies; communications (which involves strategies for making language accessible such as American Sign Language (ASL), Quebec sign language, and Indigenous signed languages); access to facilities, goods, and services (including their design); and transportation.
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)
An Ontario law mandating that organizations follow standards to become more accessible to persons with disabilities. All levels of government, private sectors, and non-profit organizations must comply with this legislation, with the goal for the province to be fully accessible by 2025.
Accommodation
The process of modifying environments—whether in the workplace or educational settings—to remove barriers and ensure that individuals with disabilities or health conditions can fully participate. In workplaces, it involves creating accessible, supportive conditions for employees to perform their duties safely and efficiently, even after illness or injury. In education, accommodation helps students with disabilities engage fully, focusing on dignity, individualization, and inclusion to meet their specific needs.
Advocacy
Any action from an individual, group, or community that speaks in favor of, recommends, or argues for a cause, or supports, defends, or pleads on behalf of others in order to change existing social structures, policies, and practice to promote social justice.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The federal law in the United States of America (USA) that protects the rights of persons with disabilities in various aspects of public life, including the right to live without discrimination. This law acts similarly to the Accessible Canada Act (which is Canada’s Federal Law for people with disabilities).
B
Barrier
An obstacle that limits or prevents people, especially those with disabilities, from achieving equity. Barriers can be physical, attitudinal, social, or systemic, affecting communication, transportation, and access to services or opportunities.
Basic Needs
A minimal list of requirements for human beings to satisfy basic requirements and achieve a decent life. Typically, the list includes basic commodities, such as food, clothing, and shelter, as well as essential services, such as drinking water, sanitation, education, healthcare facilities, and public transportation.
C
Community
A group of people with a shared identity or interest that has the capacity to act or express itself as a collective. A community may include members from multiple cultural groups, and may be territorial, organizational, or a community of interest.
D
Disability
A physical or mental condition that limits a person’s movements, senses, or activities. A disability may be physical, mental, or sensory and may include a range of visible and invisible conditions that may have been present from birth, caused by an accident, or developed over time. Disabilities can include blindness or visual impairment; deafness or hearing disabilities; speech impairment; physical or mobility disabilities (such as paralysis, amputation, difficulty with balance or coordination); brain injury; epilepsy; intellectual disabilities; learning disabilities; mental health challenges; or reliance on a service dog, such as a guide dog, or on a mobility device, such as a wheelchair, walker, or cane.
Disabled
A way to refer to a person with a disability, which may be physical, mental, or sensory and may be visible or invisible. This term is preferred over “special needs” or “differently abled” which have historically been used.
Disablism
The social barriers, exclusion, restrictions, and discriminatory practices experienced by persons with disabilities. The term disablism offers an understanding of how the social barriers experienced by people with disabilities, not the actual impairment, shape the experience of disability and can affect their emotional well-being.
Displacement
he forced movement of individuals or communities due to crises such as conflicts, natural disasters, or societal marginalization. This process often results in physical relocation, with individuals facing challenges in accessing social assistance while also grappling with altered identities and self-perceptions stemming from the loss of their homes and community ties. Displacement can be both a physical and psychological experience, deeply impacting social integration and personal well-being.
Diversity
The range of human differences, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, social class, physical ability or attributes, religious or ethical values system, national origin, and political beliefs.
E
Employment
The act of engaging in work or being employed by an individual or organization in order to contribute to the production of goods and services. Employment plays a crucial role in society by providing a social environment and enhancing self-esteem. Employment can include full-time, part-time, and temporary work, as well as working from home or remotely.
Equality
When everyone receives the same amount and type of support, services, and resources despite any differences in demographics such as ethnic origin, socioeconomic class, gender, and disability. This differs from equity because equality does not take into account that a person may already be disadvantaged.
Equity
When support, services, and resources are distributed unequally to individuals based on their individual needs in order to ensure equal opportunities; equity takes into consideration differences in ethnic origin, socioeconomic class, gender, disability, and other demographic characteristics in deciding who gets what and when, so that everyone has an equal standing.
F
Food Security
The condition whereby all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life
Food Insecurity
The limited or uncertain availability of nutritional and safe foods or the ability to acquire these foods in a socially acceptable way. People should not lack access to foods that they require for their dietary needs, and they should not have to use socially unacceptable or illegal methods (such as stealing) to acquire these foods
G
Gender
The socially constructed roles, behaviours, and attributes that a particular society considers appropriate for men and women based on assumptions about biological sex.
Gender-based violence
Physical, sexual, psychological, and/or emotional harm inflicted on someone due to their gender or gender identity. Gender-based violence (GBV) is a violation of human rights and is not limited to one location—it can happen in workplaces, homes, online spaces, and public spaces. GBV can have serious effects on individuals and their families in the long term, which can lead to a cycle of violence generationally. Some examples of GBV include honour killings, discrimination, neglect, or harrassing or degrading another person because of their gender.
Gender discrimination
Inequalities produced because gender is hierarchical; these inequalities intersect with other social and economic inequalities and discrimination, such as ethnicity, socioeconomic status, disability, age, geographic location, gender identity, and sexual orientation, among others (see also intersectionality).
Gender identity
A person’s deeply felt, internal, and individual experience of gender, which may or may not correspond to the person’s physiology or assigned sex at birth.
H
Household
A person or group of persons who co-reside in, or occupy, a dwelling.
I
Identity
Who we are as individuals and how we define ourselves in terms of our values as well as the groups and organizations we belong to. For instance, people may define themselves based on their nationality, religious beliefs/community, hobbies, and interests (both past and future). Identity can impact how people feel about themselves, how they think, and how they act in society.
Inclusion
The act of creating an environment in which any individual or group can fully participate because they feel welcomed, respected, supported, and valued.
Inclusive Design
See Universal Design.
International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF)
A classification of health and health-related domains that serves as the World Health Organization’s (WHO) framework for measuring health and disability at both individual and population levels. It is considered the international standard to describe and measure health and disability.
Intersectionality
A concept that looks at how different social categories—like race, gender, and class—combine to shape people’s experiences of discrimination and privilege. It recognizes that these factors don’t work separately but intersect, creating unique challenges for individuals. The term was coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw. Intersectionality explores how race, gender, and class intersect to create unique forms of marginalization.
Intersex
An umbrella term describing a wide range of bodily variations in sex characteristics present at birth that do not fit typical definitions for male or female bodies, including sexual anatomy, reproductive organs, hormonal patterns, and/or chromosome patterns.
L
Livelihood
The capabilities, assets, and activities required for a means of living, often framed within the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (see definition). A livelihood refers to the means by which individuals or households secure the necessities of life (i.e., food, shelter, electricity, etc.), but is usually considered to represent more than just a job, providing a person with social and economic inclusion and citizenship; empowerment to make decisions and financial independence; and adequate income and equitable opportunities. A livelihood can involve paid work, caregiving, volunteering, market gardens, fishing, and artistry, among others.
M
Marginalization
A multifaceted process that leads to the exclusion of individuals or groups from social, economic, and cultural participation. It manifests in various forms, such as systemic racism, disablism, and educational inequities, often resulting in social isolation and limited access to resources. Marginalized communities, including ethnic minorities and non-dominant language speakers, face compounded challenges that hinder their integration and development.
Mobilization
The process of engaging individuals or groups to participate actively in social projects, often influenced by factors like social roles and narratives.
N
Narrative
Provides a structure for arranging historical events into clear sequences, emphasizing the relationships between key figures or groups and connecting the past to the present. In uncertain times, narratives help people understand and interpret their experiences, building practical skills for navigating life.
P
Privilege
Unearned advantages held by certain groups and influencing access to resources and opportunities, often linked to identity factors like race, gender, and sexuality. The concept of privilege extends to social constructs, such as white privilege, which reflects systemic advantages based on race.
R
Resilience
The ability to cope, handle challenges, adapt to changes, and even grow and learn from challenging situations. It means being able to prepare for difficulties, bounce back from setbacks, adjust to new circumstances, and make positive changes when needed, in order to achieve goals.
S
Sex
A complex concept that includes biological, social, and health-related dimensions. Biologically, it refers to genetic and physiological characteristics, typically classified as male or female, with recognition of intersex variations. Socially, sex influences the formation of social roles, political status, and economic opportunities, often based on biological differences and assumptions about moral character and social value. This combination of biological and social factors shapes individual experiences and societal structures.
Social Justice
A means of addressing social problems like poverty and homelessness, emphasizing human rights, community work, and active citizenship for change toward a fairer society.
Stigma
Negative attitudes, beliefs, or behaviours about or toward a group of people based on their specific attributes or situations in life, such as having a mental illness or a substance use disorder. An example of this would be the stigma that drug use and addiction is a choice when, in reality, it is complex because a person can develop drug addictions for many reasons. Stigma can often stem from blame, as in blaming the person for their situation or for the way they are, or from stereotypes about dangerousness or unpredictability. It operates on three different levels: structural, public, and self-stigma.
Sustainable livelihood
A livelihood that can reduce vulnerability to, and build resilience to cope with and recover from, stressors and shocks, and maintain and enhance capabilities and assets of individuals and communities over time.
Sustainable livelihoods framework
A framework developed using an evidence-based approach designed to capture the many effects of social and economic exclusion on people’s lives. This framework emphasizes multiple capitals (human, social, natural, physical, and financial) that contribute to sustainable livelihoods. The framework focuses on supporting individuals and communities to develop asset-building strategies that can move them towards resilient livelihoods, and it offers practitioners and funders practical, participatory ways to promote livelihood development and social justice. For more information, see Sustainable Livelihoods Canada’s Framework https://slcanada.org/the-framework/
U
Universal Design
The designing of products, services, devices, and processes for everyone to use, no matter their age, capabilities, environments, or circumstances. It is synonymous with inclusive design.
W
Work
The intentional activity people undertake with a goal of being productive and supporting the needs and wants of themselves, others, or a wider community. Work can take many different forms, and refers to the general activity of performing tasks, whether paid or unpaid, formal or informal. Work encompasses all types of productive activities, including employment, household chores, volunteering, and creative pursuits, and encompasses any effort or activity directed towards achieving a particular goal.
Work, Decent
Work that not only is in a safe working environment, but also has social protection for families, and better prospects for personal development and social integration. Includes work that moves away from the traditional definition and institutions of work.
Work, Informal
Work that does not have a contract, legal protection, or social security such as sick leave and benefits.
Work, Unpaid Care
Can include domestic work in a household (e.g., laundry, cooking, shopping, cleaning), and caregiving for children and/or the elderly
Work, Unpaid
Intentionally productive work completed during free time for which one receives no compensation or little (such as an honorarium), which differs from receiving a paycheque. Some examples include food, fuel, and water collection and other energy provision; informal unpaid work; family labour in agriculture; bartering; informal recycling (garbage picking); begging; and volunteering.
