Equality: An approach in which all members of a society are afforded opportunities, access, and treatment in the same manner.

 
Equity:

• The guarantee of fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all, where individuals are not at a disadvantage from achieving their potential because of their background or social position.
• A key principle of equity is the acknowledgement that there are historically underserved and underrepresented populations who, through systemic inequality, have not had equal access to resources, opportunities, or support systems.
• Equity requires intentionality around identifying and eliminating the institutional, organizational, and societal barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups, and developing the solutions and support systems that are relevant to social structures, trends, and challenges.

Key differences between the terms equality and equity:

• The size of the individuals in the illustration represents the impact that systemic inequality/inequity has on an individual’s (or community’s) ability to achieve its potential.
• The fruit in the trees represents the opportunities that are more likely to be attained – like employment, degree from college/higher education or home ownership – once institutional, organizational, and societal barriers are removed.
• The boxes represent organizational, institutional, or societal support systems and/or infrastructure. Examples include access to a reliable transportation system, quality education, or affordable technology and the Internet.
• Under equality, the boxes for each individual are equal – or the same size, 16pxprevents some of the individuals from reaching the fruit (or the opportunities to reach their potential).
• Under equity, the different-sized boxes represent the removal of organizational, institutional, or societal barriers, and therefore, all individuals can reach the fruit.

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