Can I introduce you to my friend Elizabeth Grant-Brown?
Neil Copping
Senior Consultant Manager @ Tate Recruitment | Senior & Middle Management Specialist
I've had the pleasure of knowing Elizabeth for around 20 years. We met through a disabled swimming club called Colchester Phoenix, where my son swam for many years. Elizabeth and her twin sister, Sophie, are amazing ladies with a range of seen and unseen disabilities. They were the life and soul of the club, often stealing my son's false leg and hiding it in the bin when we stopped at service stations while traveling to swim meets.
Recently, I asked Lizzy about her thoughts on Donald Trump's comments, where he laid the blame for the recent air crash in DC on the air traffic controllers' EDI policy. This is what she said:
"I don’t have to tell you this, but the world is becoming a place where there is more hostility towards minority groups. We need to be good allies to one another. Personally, I am very much aware that there is prejudice and hatred increasing towards disabled people. In many ways, the world feels like it’s stepping backwards.
As you know, I use humor a lot to deal with issues that are important to me. It helps people see that disability isn’t a bogeyman; it doesn’t mean your life is less valuable or fulfilled. It just means it’s different. The way society reacts and treats you has a massive impact on how fulfilled your life can be. Bigotry, hate, and intentional or unintentional lack of access negatively impact my life. Brain damage and the list of my disabilities do not. That doesn’t mean that some days my life wouldn’t be incredibly more straightforward if my brain worked like everyone else’s, but it would be less entertaining.
Please watch this clip of Adam Hills explaining why what Donald Trump said should be a massive red flag for anyone who cares about any minority group, and I would argue, humanity. As individuals and as organisations, the time will soon come when we will have to make a choice. Are we going to go along with the increasing hateful rhetoric that demonises those who are different, or are we going to stand up and say no?
Although these comments were made by Donald Trump, we must recognise that because of the global swing towards the right, this sort of rhetoric and style of politics is on the increase. I think it is important that we can have an open discussion about politics. Whether we are on the right or the left, there are pros and cons with both ideologies. But there should be no place for discrimination and outright targeting of minority groups for political points. This should not be allowed in our public discourse. We need to stand up before it’s too late."
Elizabeth's words are a powerful reminder of the importance of standing up against discrimination and supporting one another, regardless of our differences. Let's be allies and advocates for a more inclusive and compassionate world.
#Inclusion #DisabilityAwareness #Equality #Advocacy #StandUpForChange
#PoliticalDiscussion #HumanRights #Diversity #Accessibility #SocialJustice
Recruitment Consultant at Tate Recruitment
4 周This is a really interesting article Neil Copping. Elizabeth's inspiring words serve as a powerful reminder that we each have a responsibility to stand against discrimination and support one another as allies.