What does equality mean?

In 2019, we under the law here in the UK and Europe we are all protected from discrimination. The Equality Act, which protects women, men, age, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, called protected characteristics should give us all the same rights. Although there are some exceptions like religious reasons or Employment where there are cultural sensitivities and Political parties who use ‘protected characteristics’.

I agree with these all, feel proud to live in a country where I am equal and not forced into a home because of my disability or persecuted because of my sexuality, by the state. However, while the law says we are all equal to live it doesn’t mean giving everyone the same.

For example, when I am in a café and carrying a drink to the table I would ask for help. There are moments of frustration for me when I feel as if I’m being treated as I am different. When I went to set up my first bank account, I chose my bank because out of the ones I went to they were the only ones who talked to me directly, rather than my mum.

Another great example of this I think is exams. In exams, I had access to extra time, a scribe and reader. This wasn’t because I’m lazy, it was because I was at a disadvantage because I can’t write clearly, my reading retention isn’t great.  

I know I am lucky, I am glad that in everything I want to do I should have the ability to at least have a go. I know what its like to be different, I have always struggled socially to make friends. I believe that a society which doesn’t treat people the same is not a society at all.

You see and hear in places around the world where being gay is illegal and they are hunted by the state, where woman are without rights are treated as second class citizen’s and where disabled people are still locked up.

A few years ago, I did an interview for an internal magazine for my church, I was shocked at the conditions for disabled children in Romania. But, these children are considered ill or sick, they are placed in homes because their families can look after them.

Some may say ‘that’s because they cannot play an equal role in society,’ I strongly disagree. Yes, some people may struggle to understand the world, but I have seen with the right support and I have managed to achieve great things.

We are different, yes but it’s not our choice it just the cards we were given. There are things yes I can’t do, but when it comes to saying my piece on any issue I shouldn’t be regarded as stupid.

In recent years we have been hearing a lot about equal pay, BBC presenter Carrie Gracie, who resigned as China Editor, has to be a role model for equality. Women some say aren’t as strong as men, disabled don’t understand the world or gay people should be killed they are just arrogant.

At the time of the BBC gender pay gap controversy, I was strongly supporting the women, but I was wondering why weren’t disabled on-air talent, like Nikki Fox, Ade Adepitan or senior correspondents Gary O’Donoghue, Frank Gardner on that list. They all are on-air talents, doing equal jobs, Fox I’m surprised isn’t in an editorial position.

Equality is in my view a thing which we all take sometimes we all take for granted. I cannot imagine what its like to live in a country where I am not equal.

These rights were hard fought for, homosexuality was only decriminalized just over fifty years ago and full equality in my view only came in 2014 with same-sex marriage.  It was during WW2 the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act required employers with 20 or more staff to ensure that 3% of employees were registered disabled.

The Equal Pay Act only came into force in 1975, eight years after being LGBT was decriminalised. But full rights with age of consent only in 2000 and marriage in 2014, I don’t believe civil partnership was equality.

But it wasn’t for another sixty years until the Equality Act came in 2010 and 2014 when Gay Marriage was legalised, I don’t believe that Civil Partnerships was equality.

At the end of the 1960s, according to NHS ‘A Disability History Timeline’, that the law made it easier for disabled people with councils being forced to provide educational facilities for children who are both blind and deaf, later extended to include autism and dyslexia. As well as public buildings.

Our most cared about service, the NHS, has played a huge role in allowing disabled people as well as the poorest to be active in society. We knock it, it is not perfect but it is like a grandmother a pain but we love them.

Surprisingly, it is Labour governments who have led the way when it comes to disability rights especially in the early 2000s.

The WW1 disabled soldiers were treated better, leading to major advances in plastic surgery and prosthetics. However, for the civilians they still lived in ‘colonies’ were self-contained small worlds in which disabled people were isolated from the outside world. 

Equality is also about social equality, we live in a country where the poorest are society live in poverty while the rich continue to get richer. We know that creating growth and stable employment is important, a sign of this is Foodbanks.

I believe Foodbanks shouldn’t exist we are a wealthy country, however, there will always be a need for them. Foodbanks, I believe should be a one-off backstop, however, I witness the same people coming in regularly and that I believe showing a failure to feed the poor.

It is hard not to say, so much of our life chances are not defined by what we were born into. I have a good OK life, but my parents have worked very hard to care for me and get me the same chances as everyone else, as well as improving quality of life.