Inclusion and Equality (Disability)
This week we continued to build upon the knowledge we had gained from last week’s session on Equality and Inclusion. However, this week had more of a slant towards Inclusion and Equality for disabled people in the workplace and in society. We began by working with others to begin a discussion on what we actually thought having a disability is. An actual definition as to what disability is was made by EHRC in 2011. “According to the Equality Act 2010, a person has a disability if s/he has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on that person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.” I had a pretty good understanding as to what disability was concerned with due to studying in-depth such things as the Equality Act 2010 in Higher Modern Studies. However, I had no creditable sources as to an actual definition as to what disability is.
A new and shocking thing that I did learn was about just how many people have a disability. ‘At least 15% of the world’s population have a significant, long-term, physical or mental; impairment’ (Rieser, 2012, p.159). I also never knew that previous people used to be exterminated and persecuted just because they had a disability. In fact some people were killed as they had a disability and had religious beliefs, economics and state policy. They were either excluded from the labour market and relied to very low income. These points raised by Rieser showed how excluded people with disabilities used to be. It showed me how equality and inclusion was an unheard of thing and how unfairly these people were treated.
However, as time developed and we became more advanced and knowledgeable, we began to accept and help those who had disabilities. As The Smithsonian Institution 2000 said: “efforts by this growing population to achieve independence, autonomy, equality, and full access to society gained momentum in the 1960s and 1970s. We have started to accept, include and help other with a disability now. As time progresses and generations change, we are beginning to change our mind set and begin to think that everyone is equal and should be treated fairly and equally. A very good point was raised by McGuire et al. 2016 concerning the above raised point. They rose a very good point that our society has now become to culture the ‘universal design’. What this means is that all products and environments are becoming more proactively designed so everyone is accepted and no one group or person is excluded. All the features of the ‘universal design’ include to the greatest extent that people do not need to adjust/adapt in any way now. Everything to them or a group if people in society will become accessible the way it is, without the need for them to adapt or change themselves.
Rieser 2012 raised an excellent point on the disability awareness of our society. He raised that if anyone excludes someone because of their disability this is no way through inherited means. People can become prejudice and intolerant to those who have a disability due to learned characteristics of a society. If people are excluding those with a disability, this can be due learned behaviours of a society. Therefore we should have the universal design so no one is excluded and so we do not pass down learned behaviours that we did/do exclude those who are different from us in society. We need to challenge anyone who is prejudice or has intolerance towards a certain person/group. We need to channel out ignorance and filter down equality and inclusion for all groups within a society.
Overall, today’s lecture and workshops have shown me how much we have grown as a society in helping those and accepting those with disabilities. Such things as the universal design for all are now ensuring that we exclude no person or group. We are making sure we help/challenge anyone who may be being subject to prejudice due to their disability. In fact, in schools we are more aware now of different disabilities and have put in place measures to ensure that on one is excluded. For example, schools now have positive role models with disabilities to show that having a disability is by no means a barrier or a thing you should shy away from. Schools have meetings and have resources to help those who may feel they are struggling such as a hearing impairment. Schools will try and adapt/help put measures in place to the different needs of children.
This week was another excellent topic which I thoroughly enjoy talking about. I feel fairy condiment with the knowledge and understanding aspects of the above points raised. I feel that in an exam situation that I could relay the above information. However, I must be sure as to what exactly the different scholars have said and make sure I have a clear understanding of them before talking about them to back up my knowledge and points raised.
See you next week for another new unit for health and wealth of a society.
Christopher.
