Hi Saumitri,

In my previous mail on this issue, I was not "restricting" this
argument to the workplace/hiring, but merely relating to the context
of previous emails on this issue and to my academic one.

I agree that designers need a changed mindset -to "caring" and
practices that foster "equal opportunities." I would add that it
should be one that is one that is truly "inclusive", "equitable",
"open minded" and "tolerant" and expand to all arenas of their
practice and education.

With regard to comparisons between India and US, I agree that US is
not necessarily the best example to aspire to in all situations- they
have had affirmative action and equaly opportunity laws for several
years and we know that poverty, racism and other forms of
discrimination persist in America and may have gotten worse inr ecent
years. And the conservatives apointed by Bush in the Supreme court
have already begun to initiate retrograde decisions.

As for India, I am not convinced that we have really "been able to
maintain sanity and devise means of equal representation" and I would
also question whether "expansion of opportunities" alone without
adequate "capacity building" and "political and economic empowerment"
will really enable those at the bottom of the social and political
hierarchy to take advantage of such opportunities.

Our entrepreneurs may be creating more opportunities for a few
(especially in the middle and upper classes), but I am not convinced
that their actions or that of the communist state of West Bengal
(e.g. Nandigram) or other political and the business classes are
necessarily in the right direction. I may be overly pessimistic`here,
but I also doubt that most of our entrepreneurs, given their mindset
of profit maximization will really care about creating wealth and
opportunities for the large majority of those at the BOP.

There is increasing evidence (including a World Bank study) that the
economic and social growth and "opportunities" have not been
"inclusive" or "equitable" and that the divide is actually widening.
Sadly, the safety nets that the state earlier provided for the poor
are being dismantled in favor of the few Indian entrepreneurs and TNCs
and the "growth" predicted by the neoliberal economists has been
restricted to the middle and upper classes of Indian society.

Perhaps innovative "social entreprenuership" models like Neelam's and
Gita Ram's Indus Tree could be one of the examples worth emulating
here. Would like to know if there are others like this.

best wishes
Uma
Srishti


--- In designindia@..., "saumitri" <saumitri_c@...> wrote:
>
> 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
> > >
> >
>