On Monday, I spectacularly failed my driving test. In the UK you’re allowed up to 15 minor faults – of which I only received 2…and zero serious faults. Despite having a lesson on Saturday where I managed to do my left hand corner reverse manouver with no problems at all….during the test I was brought to the same ‘corner’ to carry out my manouver and I started panicking when traffic flow started to get heavy and magnificently ‘over-steered’ to such an extent that half the car ended up on the wrong side of the road – and there I was thinking that taking up an ‘automatic’ license would be much easier than going the whole hog of taking up a ‘manual’ license….anyways the reason why I’m sharing this is not so much about the test…but to share one of the many discussions I had with my driving instuctor over the course of the last 4 months or so.
Martin specialises in ‘auto lessons’, other than the likes of ‘anti-manual’ drivers such as myself, the bulk of his students are from the disabled community – and its a mixture in terms of the disabilities, some are physical and some are mental. For those with mental disabilities, he has to make a judgement on whether they would be a hazard on the road for example he had a schizophrenic student who refused to look at the traffic lights and in the end he had to make it clear to the student’s family that he should not be on the road….as for students with physical and mobility issues…he has had his training car modified to allow the steering wheel to be replaced with a ‘joystick’ type steer….the accelarator can be changed to the left side of the brake pad depending on which leg had greater strength etc.
Some of his students have their own cars/vans and I found out that in order to properly ‘kit’ out such vehicles can cost up to £60,000. This in a country where you can get a brand new Suzuki Swift for just under £10,000 – and second hand cars at an even lower price. I remember being really shocked when he told me the cost but he added that for the majority of the disabled drivers who need special vehicles, the cost is covered via government and charitable grants.
He also added ‘but that’s what equal opportunites are’
And I am in complete agreement with him. By providing members of the disabled community with such vehicles they are given an element of mobility in their lives…this allowed them to become independant….get into employment etc and lead full lives just like any other able-bodied person.
However special schemes are not just extended to the disabled community, the Welsh Assembly for example has been proactive in encouraging women and people from ethnic minority communities to apply for public appointments. The aim is for public bodies to reflect the make-up of the community that they serve – and they have provided training sessions to help applicants from under-represented groups fill up application forms and learn interview techniques. Forms are available in large print, braille and in Welsh.
Equal opportunities isn’t about giving people an advantage, it is about levelling the playing field so that elements that you have no control over e.g. gender, race, disability do not put you at a disadvantage.
We need to be careful that we do not lose sight of our aim to level the playing field and start using those very same elements as an advantage for some. Promotions and job appointments should be based on talent, ability, track record etc any other way will defeat the principles of equal opportunities and meritocracy.
PS I’ve been booked for a re-test for end of September. Hopefully I’ll be able to pass on my 2nd try!
Shereen Aziz-Williams, an accountancy graduate of SMU, has lived in Wales for the past 4 years. She is married to a Welshman, Owain and step-mum to Hafsa. She met Owain while travelling around Europe during her exchange programme in Copenhagen Business School in 2004 and they are expecting their 1st bundle of joy in September.
Shereen works full-time as the Director of CEMVO Wales. CEMVO’s youngest, and currently only female director, she has secured over £1.5 million in grant funding for various community group. She is also the founder of Swansea Faiths Forum in the immediate aftermath of 7/7 and a founder-director of Europe’s first Jewish-Muslim Internet Radio station.
Appointed to several public bodies including, the Welsh Financial Inclusion Steering Group, the National Race Relations Advisory Board for Her Majesty’s Prisons, and the All Wales Convention.
She’s the only ethnic minority member on Plaid Cymru’s National Executive Committee, its Fairness Commission and chair of the Equalities Section.
In 2009 she won the Uthman Dan Fodio Award for Excellence in Community Development and was shortlisted for the UK Asian Woman of Achievement Award in the Social and Humanitarian category.
A true-blue Singaporean, Shereen and her Wales-based Singaporean friends have recently set up a club called 'Makan-Makan Cymrodoriaeth' to indulge in their favourite Singaporean past-time ....eating :)