What does IDEA mean

The term IDEA stands for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility.

SaskCulture uses the term to identify the need to ensure that the community is aware of and advancing in all of these areas to ensure the sustainability of their programming and organizations in the future. There are many definitions and meanings for these terms.

Understanding Inclusion

Inclusion is about the collective. It is about creating a culture that strives for equity and embraces, respects, accepts and values difference.

Acknowledging and valuing people’s differences so as to enrich social planning, decision-making and quality of life forever one. In an inclusive organization, everyone would have a sense of belonging, acceptance and recognition as valued and contributing members of the group or workplace.

Ensuring all people, particularly from equity-deserving groups, can participate in a way that makes them feel comfortable, confident to be themselves, in a way that suits them and makes them feel valued.

Examples for Cultural Groups to use to support Inclusion:

• Formally acknowledging that any bullying, abuse, harassment, or discrimination will not be tolerated in any programs or services.
• Personally inviting people from equity-deserving groups to leadership opportunities and other programming
• Openness to change rules and practices to ensure particular communities can participate.
• Eliminating structures that separate programming based on gender whenever possible.
• Using inclusive language: humankind vs. mankind, they/their/them vs his/hers, partner/spouse vs wife/husband).

Understanding Diversity

Diversity is about the individual. It is about the variety of unique dimensions, qualities and characteristics we all possess.

Diversity is a wide range of qualities and attributes within a person, group or community. By recognizing the importance of diversity, communities and organizations become richer as they draw upon the variety of experiences, perspectives and skills that people can contribute.

Our diversity can be described by our life experiences, which are influenced by social and organizational factors. Social factors include: sexual orientation, aboriginal ancestry, age, education, social class, education, sex, race/ethnicity, gender identity, religion/spirituality, length of time in the community, geographic location, marital/family status, disabilities, place of origin, language, income, immigration status, and other factors.

Organizational factors include: your position as a manager, supervisor, staff, student, your occupation and profession, your length of service, your union affiliation, whether you are full-time, part-time, contract, casual or volunteer, and your department/unit.

Example for Cultural Groups to use to support Diversity:

• Highlighting different cultures in all promotions and publications.
• Hiring people from different cultures and backgrounds.
• Celebrating different traditions and holidays within the organization, while acknowledging that not all cultures are comfortable with this tradition.

Understanding Equity

Equity is about treating individuals according to their diverse needs in a way that enables all people to participate, perform and engage to the same extent.

Treating everyone fairly by acknowledging their unique situations and addressing systemic barriers. System barriers are the policies, practices and procedures that result in some people receiving unequal access or being excluded. The aim of equity is to ensure that everyone has access to equal results and benefits.

Equity: recognizes that each person, particularly from equity-deserving groups, has different circumstances and that different resources are needed to ensure that everyone reaches the same outcomes.

There are many underserved equity-deserving people/communities who face barriers to access and inclusion in meaningful cultural experiences. Equity-deserving peoples include: First Nations, Métis and Inuit; Black and people of colour; 2SLGBTQIA+; people with disabilities; people living in remote communities, including the north.

Example for Cultural Groups to use to support Equity:

• Offering programs that address the unique needs of a particular community of people.
• Having childcare available for group programs makes them more inclusive to newcomer participants and at-home caregivers
• Offering leadership opportunities (paid and volunteer) to equity-deserving individuals within your organization
• Review all policies and practices by consulting with different communities to identify potential barriers.

Understanding Accessibility

Accessibility is about ensuring that all employees can perform to their full potential. Accessibility includes physical features of the workplace, technology, organizational culture and attitudes, and approaches to reasonable accommodations.

Accessibility: meaning that all people are afforded the opportunity to have the same cultural experiences, interactions, and services no matter their levels of ability, geographic location, financial or social circumstances. This includes advocating for those facing barriers, increasing awareness and understanding of accessibility in the cultural network and encouraging leaders to take action on changes needed.

Barriers include those to leadership and self-determination in the development of cultural supports that meet their own, or their community’s needs.

Diversity and inclusion are about capturing the uniqueness of the individual and creating an environment that values and respects individuals for their talents, skills and abilities to the benefit of the collective.

Example for Cultural Groups to use to support Accessibility:

• Offering programs in both in-person and online options.
• Ensuring venues and spaces accommodate people with different physical disabilities on all occasions. Use a checklist.