Equality, Diversity, Accessibility and Inclusion

Key Terms Equality = All people are able to enjoy common dignity, esteem and access to the benefits of society on the same terms because individuals or groups are treated fairly, as favourably as any other individual or group, according to their needs, Because equality looks different for different individuals or groups, we refer to Equalities. Structural inequality = Some groups of people are treated unfairly in relation to other groups. Bias against them is built into the structure of organisations, institutions, governments, services and social networks. This type of inequality exists, for instance, on the basis of age, disability, race, religion/belief, sex, sexual orientation and trans status

Key Terms Diversity = Each individual is unique and has something unique to offer. Bringing individuals and groups with diverse backgrounds, views and experiences together creates richer perspectives and allows us to find better solutions for problems. Accessibility = How much individuals or groups can use products, services or environments and participate in activities depends on whether physical/practical and social/cultural access barriers are removed. Different barriers exist for different individuals or groups.

Key Ideas: 1. Cycle of Inequality The more disadvantaged you are, the less power you have to change your circumstances or have your voice heard The less you are listened to, the less awareness there is about your needs and experiences The less awareness there is of your needs and experiences, the less well products, services or environments work for you The less well products, services or environments work for you, the more disadvantaged you are Inequality breeds more inequality until we break the cycle

Key Ideas 2. Responsibility for addressing (structural) inequalities and removing access barriers lies with: Organisations, institutions, governments and services who are treating particular individuals or groups unfairly and unequally, All of us (in terms of how we treat each other and think about disadvantaged groups) It is NOT the responsibility of individuals and groups at the sharp end of bias and discrimination!

Key Ideas 3. We group individuals together by shared experiences, characteristics or identities. However, that doesn’t mean that every member of the group is the same or has the same needs: e.g. being Asian British may be different to being White British, but not all Asian British people are the same. Different experiences, characteristics or identities intersect to form new subgroups or categories: e.g. life for a African-Caribbean gay older man may be different to life for a African-Caribbean straight man or life for a White British gay man. Older People LGBT People BAME

AFA and Equalities

Age-friendliness for ALL Outcome: Older people engaged by the programme will identify their neighbourhood as more age-friendly. What makes a neighbourhood age-friendly is different for different people. We need to understand what different people need so that we can get it right for ALL, not just for some.

Age-friendliness for ALL Outcome: More ways for older people to be influential in civic, cultural and economic life in Greater Manchester. Different individuals and groups can contribute different things. We need to value everybody’s contribution equally. Different individuals and groups need different ways to contribute and different levels of support to do so. We must not expect everyone to use the same method or have the same skills, knowledge and experience.

The Equalities Board It is our role to: Identify how disadvantaged individuals and groups experience ageing and what makes neighbourhoods age-friendly for them. >> So that we can make our neighbourhoods age-friendly for ALL. Raise awareness about the needs and experiences of disadvantaged older people. >> So that organisations and services can remove access barriers and be more inclusive. Amplify the voices of disadvantaged individuals and groups who usually aren’t listened to. >> So that their views, experiences and needs are taken into account in the design of age-friendly neighbourhoods.

Inclusion in Practice

Disadvantaged Groups Economic Health/Disability Identity Other People living in poverty People with alcohol and substance use issues Members of ethnic / cultural / religious / racial minorities Survivors of domestic abuse Carers   People with mental health issues Lesbian, gay bisexual or trans (LGBT) people Single men Unemployed over 50 People with learning disabilities Refugees and asylum seekers People without nearby relatives People in insecure employment People with physical disability and long-term health conditions Recent European and other migrants Care home residents / homecare customers  Blind and visually impaired people Deaf people People who have been recently bereaved Stroke survivors People with dementia

Inclusive Spaces Participation and engagement requires a sense of safety and belonging. We can’t impose this on others but we can create conditions in which people are more likely to feel that way by: being honest and open, showing our acceptance of others, showing our willingness to learn from and understand each other, giving people control over what happens to them physically and emotionally, protecting people from discrimination by challenging negative stereotypes.

Barriers/Supports for Inclusion Physical/Practical: Venues – Can people get into the venue? Can they get to the venue from home/work? Is there public transport? Timing – Are people likely to be free on the date and at the time chosen? Is the length of the event or activity appropriate? Cost – Can people afford to take part? What may the hidden costs be? Information – Can people read (in their first language)? Do people need info in alternative formats?

Barriers/Supports for Inclusion Social/Cultural: Language – Can people understand spoken English? Do they need interpreters for other languages or BSL? Are you using respectful terms or language that is offensive or oppressive? Are you using jargon or plain English? Images – Are you representing members of a range of different groups in your publicity? Norms and expectations – Do you understand people’s different social and cultural norms? What may people’s expectations be? Are your events or activities inclusive of people from different backgrounds? Power – How do you address power differentials between different people?

More Information

Remember! Treating everyone the same doesn’t lead to equality, because we all start from different positions in life and have different needs. Some need more support than others. There is a difference between individual preferences (e.g. “I don’t like the taste of pork”) and the needs of particular groups (e.g. “Muslims or Jewish people don’t eat pork”). EB is focused on the latter. Everyone is entitled to be included: no one is too difficult, too old, too poor, too disabled, etc.

Remember! People are not categories and we must not define people by their impairments, etc. Words and actions have a serious impact on whether people feel they belong. We can all help to address inequalities by changing our own thinking and behaviour. We need to be honest, open, respectful and willing to learn from each other to reduce divisions and forge new bonds in our communities.

Questions or Comments?