DEIA | What is Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access?

Here at the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, we’re taking our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA) to the next level. As we share our strategic plan with various members, we are learning that it’s important to articulate what DEIA means to us. Here are the definitions.

Term	Definition
Diversity	Seeking to ensure a range of people with various racial, ethnic, gender, socio-economic, cultural, sexual orientation, age, lifestyle, access, experience, and interest backgrounds are represented across our Chamber and community
Equity	Seeking to ensure fair treatment, regardless of equality of opportunity, and fairness in access to resources and information to all
Inclusion	Seeking to build a culture of belonging by actively inviting contribution and participation
Access	Seeking to expand access to work with business, community, government leaders, and others to create multifaceted value in the way employers evolve in how they leverage diversity, instill equity, and lead with an inclusive lens.

Now that we’ve defined each term, here are a few tactics to consider.

Term	Definition
Diversity	Use attrition as an opportunity to align your team’s gender and racial / ethnicity demographics to mirror that of the people your organization serves Ensure job description and job posting language is inclusive Use valid and reliable personality assessments to measure a candidate’s personality traits, motivations, and skills
Equity	Make job descriptions and postings assessable to all employees Offer equitable benefits (e.g. same-sex medical benefits, benefit programs aligned to the needs of your workforce demographics)
Inclusion	Create safe spaces for courageous conversations Enable collaborative work environments where it makes sense Gather input from diverse, cross-level employees when making decisions that impact their day to day work
Access	Provide access to development opportunities relevant to an employee’s desired career path Provide access to people in your organization who can help employees accomplish their career goals

We invite you to institute one of the practices and share the results with us.

Sherrice Thomas Vice President of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Access SherriceThomas@columbus.org