Uniting Voices, Amplifying Impact.
The CDO Action coalition recognizes the desire DEIA practitioners have to continue our work and improve workplaces, and the world. As a collective of practitioners, experts, and advocates in the field, it is not our goal to replace what has already been achieved. Instead, we are collaborating to weave together a unifying guide that takes into account the exhaustive work that has gone before us, while working together to clarify concepts and enhance impact.
Uniting Voices,
Amplifying Impact.
The CDO Action coalition recognizes the desire DEIA practitioners have to continue our work and improve workplaces, and the world. As a collective of practitioners, experts, and advocates in the field, it is not our goal to replace what has already been achieved. Instead, we are collaborating to weave together a unifying guide that takes into account the exhaustive work that has gone before us, while working together to clarify concepts and enhance impact.
At CDO Action, we believe in creating workplaces where everyone feels included and valued. We aim to ensure no one faces discrimination, harassment, or rejection at work. We want to work ourselves out of a job by making inclusivity the norm.
While some criticize DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) for not addressing justice, we recognize this concern. DEIA was designed to improve workplace experiences within a capitalist system, not necessarily to tackle broader injustices. True justice may require systemic change beyond our scope, but we are here to explore these questions and find our role in this journey.
Our mission is to communicate, educate, and unify understanding of DEIA’s workplace role. We aim to be educators and provide context for behaviors that hinder equitable hiring, promotion, pay, accessibility, civility, professionalism, and respect.
We acknowledge that our methods have faced criticism and are committed to improving. We believe workplaces should work for everyone, beyond the Title VII protections of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), and national origin. We are dedicated to addressing these broader concerns.
As a coalition, we will create dynamic documents that adapt as work evolves. We invite you to join us as a Contributor, sharing your suggestions and insights to help us move forward together.
We focus on shifting mindsets, improving workplace behaviors, and enhancing interpersonal communication. We understand that without proper education and context, it can be challenging to see how DEIA principles benefit our workplaces and the world.
Recognizing whether your DEIA efforts are systemic, organizational, or interpersonal is a crucial first step. Whether you’re reflecting on your own practices or managing team dynamics, it’s essential to understand the different contexts in which DEIA principles apply.
We aim to provide the framework and context needed to navigate these concepts effectively, ensuring that our actions align with our beliefs and contribute to a more inclusive and equitable environment for all.
As you review our first drafts as we establish a unifying framework, keep in mind we are continually evolving and ask that you support our work as we do so.
Diversity refers to the intersectional representation of identities, heritage, and backgrounds and incorporates the various lived experiences, interests, and perspectives of our peers.
Equity ensures merit-based and fair outcomes by acknowledging possible roadblocks, removing systemic barriers to success, and confronting a system perpetuating biased behaviors and policies.
Inclusion is a behavior through actions, norms, and processes that nurture a collective culture where all individuals are empowered and supported to contribute and where ideas are heard and respected.
Accessibility provides everyone along the continuum of human ability with the adjustments they need to succeed and removes physical, systemic, and technological barriers to the possibility.
Belonging occurs when each person is certain their authentic self is welcomed, valued, and respected, where their unique identities prosper and thrive.
Much of the work of DEIA has happened despite the reluctance of organizations to address “justice”. However, as the current opposition to DEIA has exposed, without a foundation of justice, DEIA will continue to sit on unstable ground.
Despite this instability, DEIA has a list of accomplishments below. This is possible because the goal of DEIA is to create and sustain environments where all individuals, regardless of their backgrounds, identities, or abilities, can fully participate, thrive, and contribute. DEIA supporters work to move organizations beyond representation to actively dismantling barriers, fostering belonging, and embedding fairness into policies, systems, and culture.
Ultimately, DEIA is about sustained, structural change that leads to more just and high-performing organizations where people of all backgrounds can succeed. However, one of the reasons DEIA is so misunderstood is the lack of a unifying reason for approaching the subject. When you are not aligned on the reason DEIA is important to you, utilizing a process or practice that someone else recommends will more than likely not be right for you.
Per the GDEIB, “there is a relationship and overlap among the five approaches. The descriptors provided are not meant to be exhaustive or complete. When work is being done under the heading of one approach it may also capture elements of another approach. The descriptors may have different meanings in different cultures, and language translations may alter the meaning of specific words.”
Furthermore, the type of work that can, and honestly, must be done under each approach can seem daunting. Which is why several benchmarks, guides and certifications exist on a global scale.
The CDO Action coalitions recognizes the desire DEIA practitioners have to continue our work and improve workplaces, and the world. As such, it is not our goal to replace what has been done, instead, we are collaborating to weave together a unifying guide that takes into account the exhaustive work that has gone before us with the goal of:
