Glossary

An acronym that stands for Two Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans*, Queer (or Questioning), Intersex, Asexual. The placement of Two Spirit (2S) first is to recognize that Indigenous people are the first peoples of this land, and their understanding of gender and sexuality precedes colonization. The ‘+’ is for all the new and growing ways we become aware of sexual orientations and gender diversity.

Oppression faced by disabled people, or those perceived as disabled. This includes prejudice and discrimination.

The quality of being easy to use by all people, including those with disabilities.

Being deeply engaged in and attentive to what the speaker is saying.

A person with particular privileges who is guided by oppressed communities and learns how best to fight oppressions, like ableism, ageism, audism, classism, homophobia, transphobia, racism, sexism, etc.

An active, consistent, and arduous practice of unlearning and re-evaluating, in which a person in a position of privilege and power seeks to operate in solidarity with a marginalized group.

An approach that requires giving up power, being inclusive of all groups, including marginalized groups, having representation from these groups and joint decision-making about policy, procedures, and practices.

An active and consistent process of change to eliminate individual, institutional, and systemic racism. (Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre, 2021).

The ability and right of a person to have control over their own body and mind.

A belief, policy, practice, object, or environment that prevents or limits people’s access to opportunities, benefits, or advantages available to other members of society.

An opinion formed without reasonable justification that limits a person’s ability to make fair judgements.

Depletion of physical and emotional resources caused by prolonged stress. This leads to feelings of worry, dissatisfaction and dreading daily activities. While burnout may cause empathic strain, resulting in decreased motivation and overall emotional and physical exhaustion from occupational stressors, a key difference from empathic strain is it can happen in any profession and is not tied to trauma exposure. Unlike vicarious trauma and empathic strain, burnout is usually resolved more quickly.

An economic system in which a country’s trade and industry is controlled by private sectors to make a profit.

A disability that persists over an extended period, sometimes for an individual’s whole life.

A term used in reference to someone who is unwilling, or in many cases, unable to be open with others about their 2SLGBTQIA+ identity or identities. Coming out, or “coming out of the closet,” is a common term used when someone has chosen to share their 2SLGBTQIA+ identity or identities with others.

The policies and practices that a person or group of people engage in to exert control over an Indigenous population, as well as to exploit that Indigenous population and their land.

A person’s ability to interact effectively with people of diverse cultures. Cultural competency is comprised of four components: (a) awareness of one’s own cultural worldview; (b) attitudes towards cultural differences; (c) knowledge of diverse cultural practices and worldviews; and (d) cross-cultural skills.

Principles of mutual learning and critical self-reflection, recognition of power imbalances, and the existence of implicit biases (Ranjbar et al., 2020).

An approach that considers how social and historical contexts, as well as structural and interpersonal power imbalances, shape health and healthcare experiences. It is created through an environment that is emotionally, linguistically, physically, psychologically, socially, and spiritually safe for people; where there is no challenge or denial of their identity, who they are, what they experienced, and what they need. It is about shared respect, meaning, knowledge, and experience of learning together.

The feeling of being disoriented when entering a new and different culture or environment.

The act of willfully or accidentally referring to a Trans* person by a name they no longer identify with, which can be a triggering experience and a source of emotional distress.

The act of sharing new or secret information about one’s disability with others.

Consciously or unconsciously treating someone else unfairly or holding them to different standards based on conscious or unconscious prejudiced beliefs and not because of individual merit.

Differences in the lived experiences and perspectives of people that may include race, ethnicity, colour, ancestry, place of origin, political belief, religion, marital status, family status, physical disability, mental disability, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, class, and/or socio-economic situations. It is a concept meant to convey the existence of people’s unique combinations of differences and how they contribute to our experiences, both positively and negatively.

A person’s ability to effectively manage and respond to an emotional experience.

Empathic strain is caused by exposure to occupational stress at higher-than-normal intensity, due to factors such as increased workload, decreased clinical autonomy, and decreased funding for resources and staffing. It often impacts those in frontline helping professions such as nurses, social workers, and paramedics. It results in physical and emotional exhaustion, as well as a decreased ability to empathize with those who they are helping and or who may be going through a difficult experience. This can have consequences not only for the individual experiencing empathic strain but on those they are trying to support, as individuals experiencing empathic strain may underreact to events or to individuals seeking support and or comfort from them.

A disability that features unpredictable episodes of illness that can vary in severity and duration, with periods of wellness in-between.

Deserving communities that identify barriers to equal access, opportunities, and resources due to disadvantage and discrimination, and actively seek social justice and reparation. This marginalization can be created by attitudinal, historical, social, and environmental barriers based on characteristics that are not limited to sex, age, ethnicity, disability, economic status, gender, gender expression, nationality, race, sexual orientation, and creed.

Gender identity is each person’s internal and individual experience of gender. It is their sense of being a woman, a man, both, neither, or anywhere along the gender spectrum. A person’s gender identity may be the same as or different from their birth-assigned sex and is fundamentally different from a person’s sexual orientation.

The act of imposing or enforcing normative gender expressions on an individual who is perceived as not adequately performing these via their appearance or behavior, the sex that was assigned to them at birth.

“Identify” the specific target group and provide the “what” information as distinct from “how” the goal will be achieved or when it will come about.

Refers to any efforts to minimize the harms associated with potentially risky or harmful behaviours such as substance use, gambling, eating disorders or self-harm.

A way of referring to people with disabilities that puts the identity first, usually used when the individual sees their disability as an important part of their self-identity. I.e. “a blind person”.

Inclusion is an active, intentional, and continuous process to address inequities in power and privilege and builds a respectful and diverse community that ensures welcoming spaces and opportunities for all to flourish.

A way to measure what was done or what happened because of the work done. In relation to evaluation work, indicators refer to the ways we measure.

The transmission of oppression and the effects of historically harmful events (Duke University, n.d.) Intergenerational trauma compounds the harm that people experience since it transmits the effects of past trauma experiences within their families and comingles these harms with the present-day traumas a person is experiencing.

Coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989, intersectionality is the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage.

An invisible disability is a disability that is not immediately noticeable. These can include brain injuries, chronic pain, mental illness, gastro-intestinal disorders, and much more.

The act of sharing results or data beyond academia to reach the public in a way that will resonate with them and be impactful.

(also known as academic shock) Can occur among students when there is a notable change in the learning environment or teaching methods, depending on a change in geography, culture, or situation (pandemic or war).

A logic model is a visual representation of the change we hope to achieve with the resources we have and the activities we plan. They offer a simple and yet powerful way to illustrate a program or service in a way that captures all its key elements.

Excluding whole groups of people from meaningful participation and confining them to the outer edges of society.

A state of wellbeing in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and is able to contribute to his or her community. Mental health is fundamental to our collective and individual ability as humans to think, emote, interact with each other, earn a living, and enjoy life.

A collection of steps and plans to achieve goals related to mental health. This can include how to execute policies.

Microaggressions are brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, and environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative slights, invalidations, and insults to an individual or group because of their marginalized status in society. (University of Colorado Boulder, 2021; Williams et al., 2021)

The quality of having a brain, or mental processing, that works significantly differently from the dominant societal standard of “normalcy”. I.e., an autistic individual.

A phenomenon where individuals or groups are labeled as not fitting in. This often involves attributing negative characteristics to people or groups that differentiate them from the perceived normative social group.

Refer to the effects your activity has had over time and speaks to short, intermediate, or long-term changes that result from your work. Outcomes answer the question of” what happened because of what we did?” Shorter-term outcomes are often about changes in knowledge, skills, or awareness.

The act of disclosing someone’s 2SLGBTQIA+ identity or identities without their consent.

Things you can count and answer the question “how many/much did we do?”

To treat something or someone as unhealthy or abnormal. Often linked to the model of care.

A supportive relationship that involves drawing from personal experiences of mental health and/or addiction condition to provide support to others coping with similar challenges.

A mental or physical impairment that indefinitely or permanently impacts a person’s capacity.

One way of referring to people with disabilities that puts the person first, usually used when the individual wants to assert their humanity. I.e. “a woman with a visual impairment.”

One’s ability to influence or control people, events, processes, or resources. We each have different levels of power in different situations depending on our personal combination of privilege and oppression.

A negative opinion formed about a person without looking at all the facts.

Advantages given to some people, but not others, based on their identity or position in society. People are not always aware of the privileges they have until they learn that someone else does not have that same privilege.

A broad statement about the long-term expectation of what should happen as a result of your program (the desired result). It serves as the foundation for developing program objectives.

Psychological safety is a condition in which you feel (1) included, (2) safe to learn, (3) safe to contribute, and (4) safe to challenge the status quo—all without fear of being embarrassed, marginalized, or punished in some way.

A subjective, descriptive, contextual form of data focusing on ‘why’ something has changed because of an action or activity.

An objective, numerical form of data measured by tracking changes in the volume or frequency of something.

Race is a social and political construct that groups people together based on their physical similarities such as skin colour, hair colour and texture, and other physical features. These categories have no proven scientific basis, and society invents and manipulates them when convenient (Dismantling Racism Works, 2021; Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre, 2021).

A term used to refer to Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (also called “BIPOC”) that is used to highlight that “race” is a socially constructed category with political meaning. Racialization is the process by which those with more power in society place their perceptions and attitudes around what it means to belong to a race upon racialized people.

The process by which systems, policies, actions, and attitudes create inequitable opportunities and outcomes for people based on race. Racism is different from racial prejudice, hatred, and discrimination. It occurs when this prejudice – whether individual or institutional – is accompanied by the power to carry out systematic discrimination through institutional policies and practices of the society and by shaping cultural beliefs and values that support those racist policies and practices.

Triggering or reactivating trauma-related symptoms originating from earlier life events. (Davidson, 2017, p. 17)

Developed by sociologist William J. Goode in 1960, the theory of role strain explains how individuals experience stress when they are expected to fulfill multiple roles simultaneously, leading to strain.

A term used to highlight that a given environment is one that prioritizes the emotional and physical safety of those in it. Using the term ’safer’ instead of ‘safe’ acknowledges the intention without assuming that we can know what would ensure someone else’s safety.

The oppression of people who are perceived to be neurodivergent, and the societal pressure to be seen as sane or mentally “normal”.

Prejudice and discrimination typically against women, based on sex. Often linked to beliefs about the fundamental nature of women and men, and the role they should play in society.

How individuals define their sexual attraction to others. A person’s sexual orientation is not determined by their sexual history, can change over the course of a person’s life, and is fundamentally different from one’s sexual orientation.

The social determinants of health (SDH) are the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes. They are the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and are the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life.

: It refers to the ways in which certain groups of people in society are pushed to the margins and not included.

The combination of factors including gender, race, social class, age, ability, religion, sexual orientation, and geographic location. This makes social location particular to each individual; that is, social location is not always exactly the same for any two individuals.

Assumptions about a person based on untrue and harmful tropes. These can sometimes seem positive or complimentary but are harmful because they are generalizations about a person or entire group of people not based on actual experience.

A set of negative beliefs, attitudes, and assumptions that are held in society about a circumstance or person.

A disability that affects a person for a defined period of time. This period can be days, weeks, months, or years.

An umbrella term used to acknowledge that not all gender diverse people identify as transgender.

Trauma-informed practice & care moves towards healing and recovery from the pervasive nature of trauma and steps back from services and practices that can unintentionally re-traumatize individuals.

A pervasive ideology based on beliefs, values, behaviours, and attitudes rooted in European colonialism that results in the unequal distribution of systemic and interpersonal power and privilege based on skin colour.