What do equality, diversity, and inclusion mean?

Equality means offering the same rights and opportunities to all people.

Diversity is understanding that each person is unique. It means embracing people’s differences, including their beliefs, abilities, preferences, backgrounds, values, and identities.

Inclusion is an extension of equality and diversity. It means that all people, without exception, have the right to be included, respected, and appreciated as valuable members of the community.

It's also useful to know what equity means. Equity means offering rights and opportunities fairly, catering to people’s differences so they are given fair access to opportunities. It means providing various levels of support depending on specific needs or abilities.

The following illustration by Maryam Abdul-Kareem shows the difference between equality and equity.