11 Have you seen this equality versus equity cartoon?

Equality vs. equity cartoon

This image shows three situations depicting the difference between equality and equity. In the first situation, three individuals of different heights stand on same-sized boxes to watch a game over the fence. The shortest person cannot see the game despite the support provided because the box is not big enough. In the second situation, each person has received enough boxes to see over the fence. In the third situation, the fence has been removed, so there is no need for boxes to stand on.

Image attribution: Interaction Institute for Social Change | Angus Maguire

Here we have three situations.

The situation on the left depicts equality when we give all learners the same support, represented by the boxes in the image. Some do not need them, some benefit, and for others, it is not enough. This image shows that not all learners can see what is happening due to a barrier, which is represented by the fence.

The middle situation demonstrates equity’s intention regarding additional support, which some learners need at differing levels. One of the learners did not need additional support, one required some, and the third required more support. In this situation, we see that all learners can now see what is happening.

The situation on the right depicts what can occur when we remove barriers in our classrooms. There is no longer a need for additional support as we have removed the piece preventing all learners from seeing. What this situation speaks to is the need to prepare teaching and design courses that are accessible to all by design, not by accommodation, which is represented in this image by supports at differing levels.

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Introduction to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Teaching & Learning Copyright © 2023 by University of Manitoba is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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