Empathy, the ability to understand someone else’s perspective. Empathy can also be about different perspective and imagining what an experience might be like for someone, sometimes by relating it back to a similar experience of your own or connecting it back to the emotion that lies beneath. That can be uncomfortable at times, and it’s also a little where vulnerability comes in.

Biases may be described as a tendency toward or against something, including our views of others. Where biases can become problematic is when they are left unchecked and result in others being treated differently, and especially unfairly.

Self care. Two words mentioned so often, it’s almost cliche. But, as cliche as it may be, self care- meaningful, purposeful self care, is also important. Self care, though is more than just taking time out to do things you enjoy. Self care can be doing things that you need in order to keep yourself well. No matter what it looks like, self care is important, both the kinds we plan that may become routine, and the self care we put in place on a more urgent, at times ‘emergency’ basis when things arise and we need certain aspects of self care to cope.

If Disney’s Inside Out has taught us anything, it’s that all emotions have a purpose. If we can get to know our emotions, learn to understand and live with them, even come to befriend our emotions, things might be a little easier.

Some societal ideas, or constructs grow to become ingrained expectations- the way things are done, or the ‘normal’ process. But, these things don’t always work for everyone- particularly those of us belonging to marginalised identities. We are people for whom the world wasn’t necessarily built or constructed. Part of what the world not being built for us can mean is that sometimes, things don’t always work for us the same way they do for most people, or the way society has decided they ‘should’ work. And when something doesn’t work for you, there’s a few options- you could try to conform, you could give up, or, you could try to change the way the thing is done, and make it work for you instead.

Vulnerability is the feeling of being exposed, physically and/or emotionally. Vulnerability, generally, can come up when you have to share personal things about yourself. especially when you have to go deep into those personal things. Vulnerability is anything where you feel exposed and that isn’t necessarily easy, but takes a little courage.

The idea of reasonable adjustments is to provide equity. Equity is excellent. For me though, the term, ‘reasonable adjustments’, not quite so much…

Adjustments is ok- adjustments are necessary at times. But I have always struggled with the first part, ‘reasonable’… Because everyone has needs. And everyone’s needs are legitimate and valid.  

Accessibility describes something that can be accessed by as many people as possible. Most often, accessibility is thought of in relation to disability, but as the definition suggests, accessibility applies to, and is important for, everyone, not just disabled people. I like to think of the things someone needs to facilitate access as their access needs.

Ghost kingdoms are imagined ‘what if’ scenarios that can come about from a place of deep yearning for something, or from feeling out of place.

Pride has a couple of different definitions; a celebration for those belonging to marginalised identities,; and a feeling of deep satisfaction from your own achievements. qualities or possessions, or the achievements, qualities or possessions of people close to you.

In both senses of the word, pride is important.

Broadly, a community is a group of people connected by a commonality of some kind, such as where they live or a shared identity. Community can also describe shared attitudes, beliefs or perspectives amongst a group of people which unites them.

Broadly speaking, an ally is someone who does not belong to a marginalised group themselves, but stands alongside and supports that community through what they say and do.

Someone with privilege experiences particular advantages due to their belonging to a ‘dominant‘ social group/s. Oppression, on the other hand, is the opposite of privilege.

The Social Model of Disability defines disability as a result of barriers in society/ the environment, rather than the individual’s impairment. Going off that definition, the social model could potentially be applied to any marginalised identity.

Someone with a lived/ living experience is someone who has direct experience of something. A shared/ or similar lived/ living experience means there is a cmmonality among experiences.

Trauma may be physical or psychological harm.

Strengths are what I like to think of as someone’s ‘everyday superpowers‘- maybe not flying or telekinesis, but everyone has something they’re super good at.

Human rights are inherent to all human beings by virtue of being human and recognise the inherent value of every individual- everyone has human rights.