Table of Contents
Glossary of Terms and Acronyms
| Accessibility | Accessibility is the opportunity to access programs, services, devices and the environment at the time they are needed without encountering barriers. (McMaster University Accessibility Hub) |
| Accessibility Requirements | As used in this toolkit, accessibility requirements refer to the broad range of permanent, temporary, situational, visible, and invisible needs that may impact business travel, such as physical disabilities, neurodivergence, pregnancy, injuries, age-related needs, food allergies, chronic pain, etc. |
| Business Resource Groups (BRGs) | BRGs’ structure and functioning are similar to ERGs. BRGs are different as they tend to focus more explicitly on business objectives, in addition to goals around diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. (Diverst) |
| Digital Accessibility | Ensuring websites, tools, and technologies are designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use them. (Web Accessibility Initiative) |
| Disability | A disability is any condition of the body or mind (impairment) that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities (activity limitation) and interact with the world around them (participation restrictions). Disabilities can be permanent, temporary, or situational, and visible or invisible. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) |
| Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) | In its most general definition, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are three closely linked values that work together to be supportive of different groups of individuals, including people of different races, ethnicities, religions, abilities, genders, and sexual orientations. (McKinsey, 2022) DEI isn’t the only acronym used. Other acronyms are being used almost interchangeably but refer to the same terms. Examples include D&I (Diversity and Inclusion), DIB (Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging), DE&I (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), DESI (Diversity, Equity, Social Inclusion), and EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion). (DesiNation) |
| Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) | Voluntary, employee-led groups designed to allow employees to support each other’s personal and professional groups. Members can contribute to their peers’ personal and career development through the interpersonal connections these groups offer. (Diverst) |
| Hidden Disabilities | Often referred to as “invisible disabilities”, they refer to a disability that cannot be seen. They usually refer to a permanent disability that individuals cope with on a daily basis, with no “visible” support indicating the disability such as a cane, wheelchair etc. (Center on Disability Studies) |
| Inclusive Design | Inclusive design is an approach to create accessible products and experiences that are usable and understandable by as many people as possible. It goes beyond accessibility to consider users’ diverse needs, backgrounds and experiences. While inclusive design and universal design are often used interchangeably, inclusive design tends to refer to accessibility in the design process, rather than the accessibility of the output or product. (Interaction Design Foundation) |
| Mobility | Relates to a person’s physical, mental, and social functioning, for both basic and instrumental activities of daily life. A person’s mobility is shaped by environmental, geographic, infrastructural, social, cultural, political, and personal factors. (Warren, Manderson and Ayton) |
| Neurodivergence | Term used to describe the concept that a brain processes things differently to what’s considered “typical”. (Neurodiversity Matters) |
| Neurodiversity | Describes the idea that people experience and interact with the world around them in many different ways. It refers to the diversity of all people, in the context of neurological or developmental conditions. (Harvard Health Publishing) |
| Physical Accessibility | The extent to which a person can access spaces such as buildings, public spaces, and any other space for work, play, education, business, services, etc. (United Nations Development Coordination Office) |
| Universal Design | The design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. While inclusive design and universal design are often used interchangeably, universal design tends to refer to accessibility of the output or product, rather than the accessibility of the design process. (Interaction Design Foundation) |
