Glossary

[Ableism]: placing the needs of those without disabilities first. Being able-bodied is considered “the norm" within an ableist society.

[BPOC]: Black and people of colour/BRM - Black and racialised minorities and Global Majority World peoples (those whose heritage stems from southern hemisphere countries pre-European colonisation)

[Class]: subgroups of individuals based on their general social and economic status, which include factors such as their wealth, social networks, occupation, and level of education completed.

[Colonialism]: the violent control of one country over another in order to seize political power, settle the territory, and take advantage of its resources. We centre on British colonialism.

[Food justice]: creating a system where food production and distribution operate

[Intersectionality]: identifies the importance of taking into account how people's multiple social identities, e.g. gendered, racialised, and social class (or status), overlap rather than focusing on just one identity. Through this lens, the interconnected and cumulative ways that people encounter discrimination and injustice are more visible

[Marginalised people, underserved people]: those excluded from dominant social, economic, educational, and/or cultural life because of age, gender, gender identity and expression, racialised identity, ethnicity, religion, national origin, immigration status, language, disability, sexual orientation, class and socioeconomic status.

[Majority peoples]: (those whose heritage stems from southern hemisphere countries pre-European colonisation; sometimes referred to as Global South)

[Neo-colonialism]: colonial dominance (usually over a former colony) that is maintained through a relationship of enforced economic, political, or ideological dependence following official political independence.

[Positionality]: “...refers to individual identities and the intersection of those identities and statuses with systems of privilege and oppression. Positionality shapes a person’s psychological experiences, worldview, perceptions others have of them, social relationships, and access to resources (Muhammad et al., 2015).” See Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: Inclusive Language Guide (2nd Edition), (2023). 

[Radical model of disability]: building on the social model of disability, this emphasises that we should not continue to provide a value assessment that is deemed "abnormal" when we refer to a disability as an "impairment." According to the radical model, disability is a natural and necessary part of human diversity rather than a point ofindividual or social tragedy.

[Systemic racism]: political, legal, economic, health care, educational, and criminal justice systems, as well as the institutions that support these systems, that create, tolerate, and sustain the pervasive, unequal treatment of people of colour.