Equality and diversity – glossary of terms - East Sussex County ...

Equality and diversity – glossary of termsTermAuthorityBeliefBlack & Minority EthnicBritish Sign LanguageBSLCommission / s / ingCommunityCommunities of interestCommunity SectorCouncilCounty CouncilDeaf peopleDeaf/Blind peopleThe Deaf Community/Deaf CultureExplanationA public agency with administrative powers in aspecified field e.g. County Council, Police, NHS etc.Something believed or accepted as true, especiallya particular tenet or a body of tenets accepted by agroup of persons.This is a term applied to individuals or communitieswho are identified (or self identify) as Black or arefrom a minority ethnic culture or racial group.Asylum seekers and refugees are sometimesincluded in this category although this is not alwaysaccurate as it often depends how these people selfidentifythemselves. Migrants and EconomicMigrants are also sometimes included within thiscategory.The language of signs and gestures used by Deafpeople.See British Sign Language definition above.In East Sussex County Council commissioning isthe process whereby the Council purchasesservices from a range of providers for and on behalfof the local population.This term can be applied to the population of EastSussex (or any town, city, county or country). It canalso be applied to a specific community whichpeople identify themselves with such as the Black &Minority Ethnic community.This term is applied to communities which have aparticular interest in a subject. An example would beall the communities identified under the ‘equalities’definition below would be ‘interested’ in theequalities work of the Council.This term is applied to workers, projects and groupswhich work with communities or communities ofinterest. They are typically voluntary but can beindirectly employed by statutory bodies.The County democratically elected body responsiblefor running some services in East Sussex.See above.People who have lost part or all of their hearing.People who have lost part or all of their hearing andall or part of their sight.Some people who have lost all or part of theirPage 1 of 5

DisabilityDisability ForumDiscriminationDiversityEast Sussex County Council(ESCC)EqualitiesEquality Impact Assessments(EQIA)Gay*hearing feel that there is a difference in humanexperience rather than referring deafness as adisability.ESCC has subscribed to a definition of disabilityexplained in terms of barriers some peopleexperience which are created by socialorganisation.Barriers can be:• Prejudice and stereotypes• Inflexible organisational procedures andpractices• Inaccessible information• Inaccessible buildingsSee Staff Forums.This term is applied when any of the people orcommunities described under the ‘equalities’definition below are seen to have been directly orindirectly disadvantaged by individuals ororganisations.This term is applied when a country, county, town,society, organisation is seen to have a range ofdifferent groups (as defined under the ‘equalities’definition below) within it.See Council.This is a term applied to a range of issues whereindividuals or communities are seen to have lessequal access to aspects of life taken for granted byother people.These are requirements under the Race EqualitySchemes. All statutory organisations / authoritieshave to undertake detailed assessments of all theirpolicies, functions and work to identify good or badpractice around the Black & Minority Ethnic issues.An umbrella term for Lesbian, Gay and Bisexualpeople.Refers to a person whose primary sexual attractionis to people of the same sex.The term is more commonly applied to men whoself-identify as same sex attracted, rather than menwho have sex with men but do not self-identify asGay.While many women identify as Gay, the termLesbian is commonly used to describe same sexattracted women.It is best to avoid using this word to cover all LGBPage 2 of 5

GenderGender identityHuman Rights ActHomophobia*Homosexual*Lesbian*Limiting Long Term Illness (LLTI)LGBT ForumImpact Assessmentspeople as it can render lesbians and bisexualpeople excluded. Use: Lesbian, gay or bisexual, orthe acronym LGB.Gender is the term that refers to the social roles andrelationships that structure men’s and women’slives, in contrast to the term ‘sex’ which is used todescribe the biological differences between menand women.A person’s sense of identity defined in relation to thecategories of male and female. In this glossary, theterm is primarily used to describe people whosegender identity does not match their biological sexat birth. However, it is important to note that noteveryone identifies exclusively with one sex or theother. Some may well identify as both male andfemale, while others may identify as male in onesetting and female in another.The Human Rights Act 1998 gives legal effect in theUK to the fundamental rights and freedomscontained in the European Convention on HumanRights (ECHR). These rights not only affect mattersof life and death like freedom from torture and killingbut also affect your rights in everyday life: what youcan say and do; your beliefs, your right to a fair trialand many other similar basic entitlements.An irrational fear and/or dislike of lesbian, gay andbisexual people, which can lead to hatred resultingin verbal and physical attacks.Considered by some in the LGB community to be aderogatory and offensive term. It originates from amedical definition when same-sexattraction/relationships were construed as mentalillness. Use: gay, lesbian, gay man/woman,bisexual, bisexual man/woman or the acronym LGB(lesbian, gay and bisexual).A woman whose primary sexual attraction is to otherwomen. This term often refers to women who aresame sex attracted rather than women who havesex with other women but do not self-identify aslesbian.Term used for a disability that restricts dailyactivities in the Census 2001.See Staff Forum.See Equalities Impact Assessments definition abovePage 3 of 5

InequalityInterpretersLearning DisabilityMental HealthMinority Groups ForumProcurementReligionRefugee and asylum seekerService UserStaff ForumsStaff NetworksThis term is applied when any of the people orcommunities described under the ‘equalities’definition above are not seen to be having theirneeds met.Professionals who can translate one language intoanother verbally or using British Sign Language.This term is applied to a range of conditions where aperson has usually been born with difficulties whichstop them developing learning skills at the samerate as others.This term is applied to a range of conditions where aperson is suffering from an emotional or brainfunction disorder such as depression, schizophreniaetc.See Staff Forum.Procurement is the purchase of merchandise orservices at the optimum possible total cost in thecorrect amount and quality. These good andservices are also purchased at the correct time andlocation for the express gain or use of the CountyCouncil by signing a contract.A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on theteachings of a spiritual leader.An asylum seeker is an individual who arrives in anew country and makes an asylum application. TheGovernment then decides if their claim satisfies thedefinition of a refugee. Under the UN Convention onRefugees a refugee is termed as someone who hasfled their country due to ‘a well founded fear ofbeing persecuted for reasons of race, religion,nationality, membership of a particular social groupor political opinion.’A person who has, or is, using County Councilservices.Forums allow staff to build up a support network andhelpful resources and they also enable ESCC toseek the views of staff in new projects and policiesand ensures that staff have the opportunity to beinvolved in their development.See Staff Forums.Page 4 of 5

Statutory Organisations /AuthoritiesThese are organisations / authorities that are legallyrequired to exist by the Government. These includeCouncils, NHS Hospital Trusts, Primary CareTrusts, Police, Courts, Learning Skills Council.Transgender*Transphobia*Transsexual*VictimisationVoluntary SectorTransgender is an inclusive, umbrella term used todescribe the diversity of gender identity and genderexpression. The term can be used to describe allpeople who don’t identify to the common ideas ofgender roles, including transsexuals.An irrational fear and dislike of Transgender people,which can lead to hatred resulting in verbal orphysical attacks and abuse.Transsexual is a term used to describe people whofeel they are born into the wrong physical sex – thisincludes pre-operative, post-operative and nonoperativefemale-to-male and male-to-femaletranssexuals. Known as gender dysphoria.Treats someone less favourably because they havetaken action, given evidence or allegeddiscrimination.This term is applied to non-statutory groups,projects, schemes and individuals who offerservices with voluntary (and sometimes some paid)workers.Page 5 of 5