Equity leads to equality by acknowledging that individuals start from different places and require different levels of support to achieve the same outcome, unlike equality, which treats everyone the same regardless of their needs.
Understanding Equity and Equality
| Concept | Definition | Approach | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equality | Providing the same resources and opportunities to everyone. | Treats everyone identically. | Equal access; same starting line |
| Equity | Recognizing individual differences and providing resources and opportunities necessary for an equal outcome. | Adjusts support based on specific needs, providing different resources for different groups or individuals. | Equal opportunity; same ending line |
How Equity Bridges the Gap to Equality
Equity, unlike equality, recognizes that not everyone begins with the same advantages. This might stem from various circumstances, such as socioeconomic background, access to education, physical abilities, or other societal or systemic factors. By adjusting the distribution of resources and opportunities to account for these differing needs and starting points, equity aims to level the playing field, making it possible for everyone to achieve an equal outcome.
For example, consider a group of people watching a baseball game over a fence.
- Equality would give everyone the same-sized crate to stand on.
- Equity would provide different sized crates; some people might get a tall crate, while others get no crate at all because they are already able to see over the fence without assistance.
Practical Examples of Equity
- Education: Providing additional tutoring or resources to students who are struggling academically, rather than simply giving everyone the same lesson plan.
- Healthcare: Offering specialized treatments or programs based on individual needs and conditions rather than assuming that a general approach will serve everyone equally well.
- Employment: Implementing initiatives to recruit and support people from underrepresented backgrounds to compensate for systemic disadvantages they may have faced.
- Accessibility: Modifying public spaces, websites, and systems to ensure they are usable by individuals with disabilities, rather than simply creating systems that are universally 'the same' but which favor people without disabilities.
Achieving True Equality Through Equity
By implementing equitable practices, society can dismantle the barriers that prevent individuals from reaching their full potential. The aim is not to give everyone the same thing, but rather to give everyone what they need to thrive and reach an equal outcome. As the provided reference highlights: "equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome." Through equity, individuals gain the necessary support and opportunities to participate fully and equally in society.
