Uma, good that you moved the idea of discrimination beyond sex to age
and to the physically and the mentally challenged. But then, if you
are talking about raising the bar for design, why restrict this
argument to workplace and hiring?

As designers, people who create products and systems, there is a
larger issue. Its about a whole mindset - a mindset that cares for
people of all kinds while designing something.

The discrimination towards pedestrians while constructing roads is an
example. Not only do we construct roads without footpaths but while
constructing the road we provide no arrangement for the pedestrian to
use the road. Its as if only the car driving public pays taxes.

The discrimination that bus signages have in several states towards
people from other states or even country is another example. Its a
political issue for sure. But as a designer, and as the common user
its a discrimination nonetheless.

There are many others that can be brought out.

As far as comparisons with the US and Europe are concerned - in a
country with our kind of population, where opportunity itself is
something everyone needs to fight for; where you need reservations to
ensure some kind of opportunity; where soon the "general category"
will need to ask for reservations - what kind of "equal" opportunity
do you expect? Inspite of all our odds, we have been able to maintain
sanity and devise means of equal representation at some levels. The
most needed thing now is the expansion of opportunity itself.

Its not that India is not doing anything about it. Our entrepreneurs
have generated self-belief and are now creating more opportunities.
Even the communist state of West Bengal is on a growth path to create
opportunity. The political and the business class are in the right
direction.

Its not that designers in India are not doing anything about it. The
Delhi Metro is a good example of a system where several things have
been kept in mind - the facility for blind and disabled to board the
train; signages that are consistent and have been contextualized and
more. But then there is still more to be done.

But then we need more of this design "caring" to pervade all aspects
of our life. Equal opportunity is a mindset - and equal opportunity at
work will only come if we look at providing equal opportunity in all
aspects of our social life.

Best regards,
Saumitri





--- In designindia@..., "Uma V Chandru"
<umavchandru@...> wrote:
>
> No offense meant to you personally Shveta -but thankyou Mahesh for
raising the bar for
> design in India and pointing to the need to end discriminatory ads
and workplace policies
> (design as well as other) in India, including in educational
institutions. We are yet to
> ensure universal design practices in our workplaces.
>
> It is time for Indian companies and educational instititutions to
wake up and begin looking
> more seriously at true "diversity"and ensure "universal design"
practice in the workplace
> and avoid discrimination in any form against any age, community,
race, color, gender,
> sexual preference, etc.
>
> Faculty in most US colleges have no retirement age bar and many
colleges are hiring/have
> hired women presidents (including Harvard, MIT, Purdue, etc) and
some US politicians have
> openly declared their sexual preference without fear.
>
> Wondering how many companies and institutions amongst us have hired
and not
> discriminated against mentally and physically less abled people .
>
> Uma Chandru
> Srishti
>
>
> --- In designindia@..., "mahesh_joglekar"
<mahesh_joglekar@> wrote:
> >
> > --- In designindia@..., "shvetaverma_18"
> > <shvetaverma_18@> wrote:
> > >
> > Shweta
> > Clearly I have heart your feelings..
> >
> > >I am not denying that there are no such adverts in Australia however
> > by any yardstick I see lot more open discrimination in Indian adverts
> > Now if you don't like India's mistake pointed out and if I have heart
> > your feelings then I am sorry...but I donlt think I am 100% wrong
in my
> > observation!
> > I won't feel bad if you point out negatives about Australia
> > My point was the openness about such filtering in adverts...
> > Rather people as consumers not realizing this discrimination by
> > employers in India reason is Employers don't care they know if
anybody
> > complaints then there woudl be 100 other applicants.
> > ANy way since this is not a major Design related topic I stop it
from
> > my side
> > Mahesh
> >
>