Equality and Equity: Expanding Opportunities to Remedy Disadvantage

Over time, equality has changed in meaning to refer to the similarity of treatment of individuals and groups. Equity has emerged as an alternative construct linked to social justice, especially in the fields of health and education. Equity invokes a search for the social, economic, and political causes of inequality and for remedies that consider context and circumstances of disparate outcomes. This article discusses how a focus on opportunities could advance research, policy, and practice to enhance the quality of life of people disadvantaged by their position in society.