Confused about the difference between equity and equality? Learn why equality is a privilege whereas equity is fair.
I know this topic has been written about A LOT. I love the infographics of people standing on boxes to see over a fence and the animals being tested on whether they can climb a tree. However, it’s something we often talk about in our family.
We are privileged in a LOT of ways: we have access to good schools, secure and affordable housing, and healthy food. We are not visible minorities and we are privileged to live in an amazing city that is safe, tolerant, and progressive.
That doesn’t mean we don’t have challenges.
Why I need equity
My personal challenges include:
- a learning disability (dyslexia)
- sensory processing issues (while my vision is fine, I don’t “see” well enough to drive a car or ride fast on my bicycle. And fluorescent lighting is difficult.)
- chronic pain (related to scaring from surgery coupled with joint hypermobility)
- partial deafness (a congenital deformity means I can’t hear in my right ear)
- plus some emotional family issues (hurrah for therapy and writing!)
–> In general, people are happy to provide me with the necessary accommodations to allow me to participate.
Equity
For the most part, none of these challenges impact the way people engage with me. No one minds if I ask them to move to my left side so I can hear them.
And once I explain that I’m dyslexic, people generally forgive me for mispronouncing names and places. (My greatest dyslexia challenge as an adult. Thank goodness for spellcheck!)
Equality
If someone insisted on talking to me regardless of where they were standing in a room, because most people can hear in both ears, that is equality. And I would miss out on 50% of the conversation.
The Utopia/Dystopia of Equality
The only way equality makes things fair is if everything is truly equal. For things to be truly equal:
- Money must be valueless so no one can have a bigger house or better lifestyle options.
- All children must have access to the same quality of education. Likewise, everyone would need the same quality of food, housing, and healthcare.
- To be truly equal, all embryos would have to undergo genetic therapy to ensure that there were no genetic differences (goodbye dyslexia, deafness, and sensory processing issues — goodbye me?).
- All children would need the same prenatal care and parenting to ensure they have the same level of enrichment and affection.
While the utopia of equality seems appealing on the surface, I think most people would agree that it’s a pretty dystopian scenario.
Our differences and challenges are what makes us unique and keeps the world interesting!
Equity Allows Everyone To Thrive
Most people (certainly anyone who values kindness) practice equity all the time. And everyone has something they need to be accommodated for. (I have yet to meet a truly average Joe).
Simple acts of equity include:
- Making someone a peanut butter sandwich because they’re lactose intolerant and can’t eat cheese.
- Allowing an introvert time to share their opinions at a meeting.
- Giving someone with a broken leg a chair to sit on at an outdoor barbecue.
Arguing against measures designed to improve equity (in education, health care, representation, etc.) is like forcing someone with lactose intolerance to eat a cheese sandwich because that is what everyone else is eating.
And why would anyone do that?
If you think you like equality and not equity, what you actually like is privilege.
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