Equality impact assessments

Being involved with disabilty action groups and having worked in support of disabled students, I've long observed a certain resigned acceptance of getting a bad deal.

I get the feeling most disabled don't expect much from reforms. Added to which the existence of equality impact assessments is probably only familar to people who've had to evaluate them in their workplace, which is generally a minority.

Also most disabled are resigned to the fact that the coalition Government is unrepentant at scapegoating the disabled. I personally suspect this is a decision made by Cameron and his Eton chronies, believing he is doing councils a favour. However I am making enquiries to find out whether this is just my local authority, a local government decision or a national one.

I ought perhaps to have clarified what Equality Imapact Assessments are about. Decision makers like local authorities, health services, education providers have to include an impact assessment when they change a policy, to ensure they carefully check for any adverse effects on equality. For example a decision to reduce the number of languages in a library facility needs to consider how many ethnic minorities with those languges use the library. Likewise a decision to close a street ahead of an event might more significantly affect the disabled.

The trouble is the procedure is boring. Nine times out of ten there is no obvious necessity. Also people tend not to make informed decisionss, or consult say disabled groups. There's a tendency to assume common sense applies - which of course is the common sense usually of white, middle class able-bodied decision makers. It is also one of the exercises perceived as political correctness gone wrong.

So I can quite easily imagine the Eton chronies have decided for themselves that its a superfuous practice that should be abolished. After all if you're privileged, had a fee paying education at a posh school that selectively avoids taking on disabled kids, or ethnic minorities, you are bound to have a fairly narrow view of reality. That's Hooray Henries for you.

Being involved with disabilty action groups and having worked in support of disabled students, I've long observed a certain resigned acceptance of getting a bad deal.

I get the feeling most disabled don't expect much from reforms. Added to which the existence of equality impact assessments is probably only familar to people who've had to evaluate them in their workplace, which is generally a minority.

Also most disabled are resigned to the fact that the coalition Government is unrepentant at scapegoating the disabled. I personally suspect this is a decision made by Cameron and his Eton chronies, believing he is doing councils a favour. However I am making enquiries to find out whether this is just my local authority, a local government decision or a national one.

I ought perhaps to have clarified what Equality Imapact Assessments are about. Decision makers like local authorities, health services, education providers have to include an impact assessment when they change a policy, to ensure they carefully check for any adverse effects on equality. For example a decision to reduce the number of languages in a library facility needs to consider how many ethnic minorities with those languges use the library. Likewise a decision to close a street ahead of an event might more significantly affect the disabled.

The trouble is the procedure is boring. Nine times out of ten there is no obvious necessity. Also people tend not to make informed decisionss, or consult say disabled groups. There's a tendency to assume common sense applies - which of course is the common sense usually of white, middle class able-bodied decision makers. It is also one of the exercises perceived as political correctness gone wrong.

So I can quite easily imagine the Eton chronies have decided for themselves that its a superfuous practice that should be abolished. After all if you're privileged, had a fee paying education at a posh school that selectively avoids taking on disabled kids, or ethnic minorities, you are bound to have a fairly narrow view of reality. That's Hooray Henries for you.