Equal Opps? I’ll scream!
January 29th, 2009
If anyone mentions the words “equal opportunities” to me once more, I swear I’ll scream! (and loudly too). For a start equal opps is sooooo out of date and anyone who uses this phrase should be immediately suspect. We should be asking ourselves “How can we create a level playing field?”. How can we make it fairer for deaf people to catch up? My experience has been that equal opps is used to favour hearing people. Why? you ask. Ok, here are several true interview stories (hold your breath as you’ll want to scream too) :
1. An interviewer refused to hand over a typed list of questions to the deaf candidate “as it wouldn’t be fair to the hearing candidates” (the interviewer was totally unlipreadable).
2. In a separate interview, an interviewer refused to allow one of the panel to ask a supplementary question to the deaf person (who was vastly experienced but wasn’t sure of the question) as this would “load the dice against everyone else”.
3. A headteacher refused to allow a deaf teacher to walk next to him so she could see what was being said, on a school pre-interview tour. “It’s not fair to the other (hearing) candidates”.
There are many many more stories and you really have to be in the room when these misguided equal opps minded individuals say these things. Interpreters could also tell you some horror stories too about what they’ve seen.
“Oh Equal Opps, what crimes are committed in thy name”.
I love it !!! Your voice and tone shines through ! I can see you in front of me as I read !
Just need to make sure that the people who need to read it do read it ! How – now that is the question !
Let’s change the wording Equal Opps to Accessible Opps..much more user friendly and it will wake up everyone of all gender, culture, special needs and age. Equal Opps is getting to be an abused term. My hat off to you Laraine!!