#equlaity

We hear it all the time, on the Main Stream Mental Illness, Social Media, Even in movies and books…Equality. How exactly are we making everyone “equal”? Does anyone really know what it costs to have an “equal” society, what it does to the will and spirit of humans and the slavery it requires? There is no growth if we’re all striving to be equal, it stagnates us and costs us our freedom, ability…

Don’t forget to look in your cupboards before going shopping!

How many times have you been to the supermarket to get that one item, you need only to realise when you get home that you already have it.

How much time could you have saved by just checking your cupboards.

Similarly in engagement, we may go out in to the public domain without really looking at what we already have to hand.

How many different diverse people work in your organisation? Do they not live in society? Do they not have opinions? It always amazes me, how many organisations don’t fully utilise their own staff in engagement activities. So many times I’ve seen organisations pay for expensive experts to ask for opinions, when Bob who sits next to you may actually be an expert in that field. Hold on though Bobs not qualified? He may not have a certificate, but if he’s passionate about it, or its integral to his way of life, he can probably tell you more about issues, than a paid professional.

An example of this was when I worked for a local authority as an Equality Officer, I often got asked to check over a document for accessibility issues. The first thing I’d do would email it across the office, to a girl who had a vision impairment, she would instantly be able to tell me whether visually it was readable even down to if the colour scheme used for lettering was visible.

Most organisations are diverse enough to have a person from most aspects of life or a connection to someone from that area of engagement. At a recent Partnership meeting at a local authority we got asked what’s the best way to engage with children? My answer; ask a child, or get an organisation who works with children to ask children. Just going round the room there where enough people who had connections with children, to ask that question. So if you want to discuss Disability, Race, Religion or any of the other protected characteristics. Ask someone you know! it doesn’t need to be a lengthy meeting just a quick five minutes, “ hey what do you think of this”.

Don’t forget other resources that you may have internally as well. Complaints are often over looked as way of gathering information. Look closely enough and you will find common issues which will lead to areas that may need improving. Similar with partner or voluntary and community organisations, often they will have readily available data which will give you insight to thought patterns of communities of interest.

It always amazes me that though you may have partner organisation who help you deliver services, often organisations will always get some consultant to give there paper some credence rather than talk to those who your already paying for.