Equity and Diversity Glossary

acquired brain injury		Damage to the brain caused by an external force that results in impaired cognitive abilities or physical functioning.
affirmative action (AA)		Affirmative Action (AA) strategies aim to redress past disadvantages and improve employment outcomes for people from EEO groups. The principle of Affirmative Action acknowledges that equal treatment may not produce equal outcomes; differential treatment may be required to achieve real equity. At UTS affirmative action programs are implemented for Australian Indigenous people, people with a disability and women.
Anti-Discrimination Action 1997 (NSW)		An Act to render unlawful racial, sex and other types of discrimination in certain circumstances and to promote equality of opportunity between all persons.
assistive technology		People with disabilities are able to use technology to provide opportunities to access information, provide mobility and communication and control their environment.
AUSLAN		Sign language used in Australia by people with hearing impairments.
disability		Defined by the World Health Organisation as "any restriction or lack (resulting from an impairment) of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered usual for a human being. For example, for a person with a visual impairment, the loss of the ability to see effectively is a disability. As defined in the DDA includes physical, intellectual, psychiatric, sensory, neurological, learning disabilities, physical disfigurement and the presence in the body of disease-causing organisms.
Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA)		The objects of this Act are: (a) to eliminate, as far as possible, discrimination against persons on the ground of disability in the areas of: (i) work, accommodation, education, access to premises, clubs and sport; and (ii) the provision of goods, facilities, services and land; and (iii) existing laws; and (iv) the administration of Commonwealth laws and programs; and (b) to ensure, as far as practicable, that persons with disabilities have the same rights to equality before the law as the rest of the community; and (c) to promote recognition and acceptance within the community of the principle that persons with disabilities have the same fundamental rights as the rest of the community.
discrimination		Discrimination means treating someone unfairly because they happen to belong to a particular group of people. Direct discrimination occurs where someone is treated less favourably than someone else in circumstances not materially different because one of the attributes covered by anti-discrimination legislation (that is, becuase of their sex, race, disability, age, etc)Indirect discrimination occurs when a rule, practice, policy, requirement or condition appears to be fair because it treats everyone in the same way, but in effect it disadvantages people from a certain group, and this is not reasonable in the circumstances.
diversity		In the context of UTS the term "diversity" refers to the mix of gender, race, ethnicity, age, disability, socio-economic status, language background, sexual preference and religious belief represented within the University community. UTS recognises the potential for diversity to be complementary and of benefit, eg. through enhanced understandings, improvements in teaching practices, better provision of services to our diverse clients, and increased international competitiveness.
EEO groups		Particular groups of people have traditionally been disadvantaged in employment, because of discriminatory laws, rules, employment practices, stereotypes and attitudes. The NSW legislation defines these groups, sometimes referred to as 'EEO groups', as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people people of non-English speaking background women people with a disability UTS reports to the Federal Government annually on the following student equity groups: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people people of non-English speaking background women studying in non-traditional areas and in postgrad study people with a disability requiring workplace adjustments people from rural backgrounds people from isolated backgrounds people of low socio-economic status
equal employment opportunity (EEO)		Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) gives all people the right to be considered for any job for which they are skilled and qualified, ensuring that the best person for the job is employed. EEO is based on the principle of recruiting and promoting people on merit.EEO also promotes a working environment free from harassment or discrimination of any kind, and access for all staff to job-related opportunities, eg. training and development, promotion and reclassification.
equal opportunity		Equal opportunity is the application of human rights principles and laws which help to create an equitable environment for work, study and the provision of services, ensuring that the diversity of the Australian community is reflected in the profile of an organisation.
Equal Opportunity For Women in the Workplace Act 1999		An Act to require certain employers to promote equal opportunity for women in employment. The principle objects of this Act are: to promote the principle that employment for women should be dealt with on the basis of merit; and to promote, amongst employers, the elimination of discrimination against, and the provision of equal opportunity for, women in relation to employment matters; and to foster workplace consultation between employers and employees on issues concerning equal opportunity for women in relation to employment.
harassment		Unlawful harassment is any unwelcome conduct, verbal or physical, which has the intent or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive educational, work or living environment, and which happens because of a person's sex, race, age, marital status, pregnancy or potential pregnancy, disability, sexual preference or transgender status.
hearing loop (induction loop)		A system of hearing augmentation where a loop wire is coupled with the PA system and the wire will circle the whole area or a designated portion of the area. The listener wears a hearing aid turned to the "T" setting and will pick up the electromagnetic field generated by the sound passing through the loop. Sound is heard clearly directly from the sound source.
human rights		The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948 without a dissenting vote. It is the first multinational declaration mentioning human rights by name. The preamble refers to:"…the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want," and that " human rights should be protected by the rule of law..."
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986		An Act to establish the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, to make provision in relation to human rights and in relation to equal opportunity in employment, and for related purposes.
Indigenous Australian		An Indigenous Australian is a person who Is of Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, AND Identifies as such, AND Is recognised as such by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community
learning disability		A learning disability is any of a diverse range of conditions that cause significant difficulties in perceiving and/or processing either auditory, visual and/or spatial information.
merit		Merit is the basis of equal employment opportunity in Australia. The merit principle ensures that the best person for the job is employed. It gives all people the right to be considered for a job on the basis of their abilities, qualifications, experience, and standard of work performance.
non-English speaking background (NESB) / people who speak a first language other than English		The term is used to indicate that a person's language background is not English; it does not indicate a person's knowledge of English. At UTS a staff member is classified as being from a non-English speaking background if they spoke a first language other than English. The definition of NESB students is those students who have lived in Australia for less than 10 yrs and who speak a language other than English at home.
Racial Discrimination Act 1975		It is unlawful for a person to do any act involving a distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of any human right or fundamental freedom in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life.
racism		Discriminatory attitudes and behaviours on the basis of race, colour, descent, national or ethnic origin, or ethno-religious background.
reasonable accommodation / reasonable adjustment		TThe Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986 has scheduled to it a United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons (1978) which recognises that disabled persons are entitled to 'the right to any necessary treatment, rehabilitation, education, training and other services to develop their skills and capacities to the maximum. The DDA does not require action which would impose unjustifiable hardship on the university taking into account the impact on all concerned, the effect of the disability, financial circumstances and the cost. At UTS the concept of reasonable accommodation covers access to campuses, equipment and facilities, and the modification of courses and work environments to individual needs.
Reconciliation		In 1991 the Federal Parliament established the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation to promote a formal process of reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the wider community. Reconciliation aims include: Building better community relations so all Australians benefit Celebrating the diversity of peoples who make up Australia today Recognising the unique status of the first Australians and the importance of culture and land to indigenous peoples Respect for the continuing customary laws, beliefs and traditions of Indigenous peoples Acknowledging our history and its continuing consequences today Acknowledging that consent was neither sought nor given at the time colonisation Commitment to achieving greater equity in social and economic conditions for Indigenous peoples by improving the delivery of services Ensuring that reconciliation is included in government policies and programs
sensory impairment		Commonly includes vision and hearing impairments.
Sex Discrimination Act 1984		The objects of this Act are: (a) to give effect to certain provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women; and(b) to eliminate, so far as is possible, discrimination against persons on the ground of sex, marital status, pregnancy or potential pregnancy in the areas of work, accommodation, education, the provision of goods, facilities and services, the disposal of land, the activities of clubs and the administration of Commonwealth laws and programs; and(ba) to eliminate, so far as possible, discrimination involving dismissal of employees on the ground of family responsibilities; and(c) to eliminate, so far as is possible, discrimination involving sexual harassment in the workplace, in educational institutions and in other areas of public activity; and(d) to promote recognition and acceptance within the community of the principle of the equality of men and women.
sexism		Discriminatory attitudes and behaviours on the basis of sex.
social justice		The concept of social justice encompasses the work and struggles of people throughout the world for equality, democratic government, economic opportunity, intellectual freedom, environmental protection and human rights.
vicarious liability		Federal/state anti-discrimination law provides that an employer may be legally responsible for discrimination and harassment which occurs in the workplace or in connection with a person's employment unless it can be shown that 'all reasonable steps' have been taken to reduce this liability.This legal responsibility is called 'vicarious liability'.
vision impairment		Describes a recognisable defect or malfunctioning of the eye ranging from total blindness to low vision. The term vision impaired is also used frequently to describe those persons who have a sight loss in one or both eyes but are not legally blind. Legally blind persons have a visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye after correction or a visual field of less than 20 in the better eye after correction.

Return to Top