Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility
One of the first executive orders President Trump signed on his first day in office was E.O. 14151 titled, “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing.” The order says that President Biden’s commitment to DEI demonstrated “immense public waste and shameful discrimination.” Trump called the programs “immoral and illegal.” It also says, “Federal employment practices, including Federal employee performance reviews, shall reward individual initiative, skills, performance, and hard work and shall not under any circumstances consider DEI or DEIA factors, goals, policies, mandates, or requirements.” A day later, Trump signed E.O. 14173 titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.”
Why is this important?
The statements in both orders deliberately mischaracterize DEI. Insinuating that DEI doesn’t reward individual initiative, skills, performance, and hard work is pure gaslighting. These executive orders are harmful to almost every government agency and research program. That is why everyone should know what DEI is and what it is not.
This article provides a basic overview of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), which is sometimes referred to as diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). At the end of the article, we have ideas for actions you can take to help spread the truth about DEI.
DEI in a nutshell
In an episode of the podcast, Pod Save America[1], Stacey Abrams defined DEI like this:
- DEI are the core values of this country.
- Diversity is all people.
- Equity is access to opportunity.
- Inclusion is a pathway for all Americans.
- Why would we run away from that? Why are you afraid of competition?
- DEI is proof that the American dream works.
She also said that, if you benefited from Title 1 education, which was designed to bring education to the poorest people of America, that was part of DEI. (Vice President JD Vance attended a Title 1 school in Middletown, Ohio.)
DEIA in a little more detail
The goal of DEIA in a workplace or educational setting is to create equality of opportunity. It’s not about quotas or hiring people for positions they didn’t earn. It is illegal under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act to take race or gender into account when making hiring or promotion decisions, so organizations, especially government organizations, do not use that type of data for those decisions.
When someone says, “DEI hire” what are they saying? They’re saying that only a cis, white male would have been qualified for the job; that the person who got the job was hired only because of a DEI program and not because they were qualified. Does that bias really achieve the goal of merit-based hiring?
DEIA helps us move towards a meritocracy because we’re not excluding diverse applicants based on their race or gender or other protected characteristics. Some efforts focus on implicit bias and how to reduce the influence of bias. Trump’s executive order described DEIA when he said, “Americans deserve a government committed to serving every person with equal dignity and respect….” Unfortunately, he used those words to tear down DEIA initiatives.
Let’s look at the meaning of each term in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA). By understanding the concepts of DEIA, you can see how DEIA is neither wasteful nor discriminatory. Rather, it promotes healthy environments where people and businesses can thrive.
Diversity
McKinsey has a study showing that companies in the top 25% on gender, racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity are more likely to over-perform in relation to their industry peers.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “diversity” is defined as the practice or quality of including or involving people from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds and of different genders, sexual orientations, etc. Research indicates that groups with diverse perspectives and experiences create better solutions because they include different inputs. Different perspectives pressure test and help develop better solutions. McKinsey has a study showing that companies in the top 25% on gender, racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity are more likely to over-perform in relation to their industry peers.[2] If diversity yields greater profitability, how is it “wasteful”?
Diversity covers a range of differences. It can be something as simple as including left-handed people in the development process so that a product doesn’t work for only right-handed people. It can also make a life-saving difference. A recent story about pulse oximeters showed how their design can show a misleading result in people with dark colored skin. Pulse oximeters are commonly used during routine checkups, seeking out oxygen-rich blood by shining a light through the fingertip. That light, however, also absorbs skin pigment. The more pigment a person has, the healthier they seem to be, often leading to faulty pulse oximeter readings in people with darker skin.[3]
Cutting off studies by cancelling DEI initiatives is immoral and can harm individuals’ health outcomes.
Equity
According to Merriam Webster, “equity” is defined as fairness or justice in the way people are treated. Often, specifically: freedom from disparities in the way people of different races, genders, etc. are treated.
Equity acknowledges that not everyone has the same starting point. To be equitable requires us to look at where people are and what they need to be equal. For example, if you think of only a white male when thinking about who can be a pilot, is that equitable? What extra distance does every other qualified applicant have to travel to be considered? Think about the starting line-up on a 400-meter track. Defining different starting points depending on the lane isn’t discrimination. It’s fairness.
Equity and the 400-meter track
Imagine you’re at a track meet. The runners line up at the start for the 400-meter race –one lap around the track. The runners don’t start on the same line. Instead, the runner on the outside lane (lane 8) is in front, and the others are staggered down the track with the runner on the inside lane (lane 1) starting the farthest back. Do you think the track officials are giving the runner in lane 8 an unfair advantage? Is the runner in lane 1 the victim of shameful discrimination? No. Of course not. Tracks are measured in lane 1, so if runners in all lanes started on the same line, runners in lanes 2 through 8 would cover increasingly more than 400 meters. By staggering the starting lines, each lane measures 400 meters to the finish line. Same starting points, different distances; different starting points, same distances.
Inclusion
When you promote inclusive practices, you’re looking at how to create a space or environment where people can show up fully and safely.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “inclusion” is defined as the practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those who have physical or intellectual disabilities and members of other minority groups.
When we feel that we’re in a space where we are welcome, we can show up more fully and be more effective. Social acceptance and inclusion is very important to feeling safe. When you promote inclusive practices, you’re looking at how to create a space or environment where people can show up fully and safely. If there’s a barrier that inhibits everyone from showing up fully engaged to participate, DEI programs look at options you can provide to eliminate that barrier. They aren’t options that everyone has to select but are available to those who choose to use them.
In any given group, the dominant culture is the one we don’t see because we’re so used to it. If you don’t make efforts to be open to different ways of doing things so people can show up differently, you may unintentionally exclude people from different cultures. As we mentioned when discussing “diversity,” bringing in diversity yields better outcomes. Providing an inclusive, safe environment enables everyone to fully contribute to these outcomes.
Accessibility
Often, accommodations for people with disabilities help others who are not disabled.
Accessibility looks at how to make a space available to everyone. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, “accessibility” is defined as the quality of being able to be entered or used by everyone, including people who have a disability.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 protects people with disabilities from discrimination.[4] Often, accommodations for people with disabilities help others who are not disabled. For example, sidewalk curbs with cutouts for people who use wheelchairs or walkers are also enjoyed by parents pushing strollers, bicyclists, and more. It’s like Paul Wellstone’s famous quote, “We all do better when we all do better.”
Actions you can take
- Think twice before doing business with companies that have scaled back or eliminated their DEI programs. This isn’t easy but try to find alternative businesses who actively kept their DEI programs or haven’t eliminated them. Do your research and make the choice that’s right for you. Here’s one article (among many) listing companies and their DEI stance: Axios, Which companies are rolling back DEI and which are standing firm, Jan 29, 2025
- Stay current with your facts so you can spread the truth about DEIA when conversing with friends in person or online.
- Take part in meetings and outreach and inclusion activities sponsored by your local organizational unit. See the calendar of events for DFL SD57 here.
- Take an active role in supporting candidates who support DEIA initiatives.
References
[1] Pod Save America, Trump’s Worst Interview Ever? (feat. Stacey Abrams)
[2] McKinsey & Company, Delivering Through Diversity (2018).
[3] NBC News, Trump’s anti-DEI initiatives could hamper pulse oximeter research, doctors worry.
[4] ADA.gov
