Simple answer here isn't there? Nothing about us without us.
Susannah , why on earth are you asking?
Chris
-----Original Message-----
From: Jenny Sidery [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2001 12:13 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: (Fwd) (Fwd) (Fwd) representation
------- Forwarded message follows -------
From: "Jenny Sidery" <[log in to unmask]>
Organization: Middlesex University
To: "J.Sidery" <[log in to unmask]>
Date sent: Wed, 25 Jul 2001 10:59:43 GMT
Subject: (Fwd) (Fwd) representation
Priority: normal
I have been asked to forward this message from Susanna
Hancock, Equal Ops Officer at Middlesex University. Please send
replies directly to her, not to Dis-Forum as she is no longer a
member. Thanks.
------- Forwarded message follows -------
From: "Susanna Hancock" <[log in to unmask]>
Organization: Middlesex University
To: "J.Sidery" <[log in to unmask]>
Date sent: Tue, 24 Jul 2001 13:28:17 +0100
Subject: (Fwd) representation
Priority: normal
Jenny
Could you send this to dis-forum for me, please, as I am no longer
a member. I'd be interested in any replies you get.
susanna
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Tue, 24 Jul 2001 13:21:07 +0100
From: Susanna Hancock <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: representation
To: [log in to unmask]
Send reply to: The list aims to provide a channel of communication
for HE
administrators w <[log in to unmask]>
Organization: Middlesex University
Priority: normal
Dear everyone
I'd be interested in your views - I'm having to question mine at the
moment.
A colleague was recently invited to be on a panel looking at an
important disability issue. When she told me, I asked her how
disabled people's views on this issues were going to be included or
represented. Her response was that it wasn't necessary to have
disabled people on the panel because a "competent professional"
could represent the views of disabled people.
I was quite shocked by that response. It reminded me of the later
eighties and early nineties when services for disabled people were
being developed without the input of disabled service users. At that
time I was the chair on the local disability association and we
fought long and hard to be part of the planning of services for
disabled people and to be represented on council committees. We
were very successful and our success was reflected within local
government and the voluntary sector all over the country. At the
same time, organisations and charities "for" disabled people began
to realise that they needed to rethink the role of disabled people
and to involve them in the management of these organisations.
Many of these organisations then became organisations "of" rather
than "for" disabled people.
I have been thinking a lot about what my colleague said because
she is somebody for whom I had a lot of respect. Am I wrong to
think that disabled people themselves should be represented on
planning groups and panels set up to look at policies and services
for them? Can "professionals" represent the views of disabled
people, and even if they can should such groups and panels still try
to include representative disabled people? If we say that disabled
people can be represented by "professionals", and I'm not sure
what they are exactly, is it then ok to set up a group to work on
ethnic minority or gender issues without ethnic minority people or
women included? I have heard it said that parents of disabled
people can represent disabled people on such working groups. Can
this be right, and would we say the same about an ethnic minority
or a gender working group?
Questions questions! I thought this issue had been settled long
ago, but it seems that in some areas, such as in education, it
hasn't been settled at all.
I would be interested in any responses you have. I'm hoping that I'll
be able to open up a debate on representation across the HE
sector, because I think we need to come to some sort of
agreement on this important issue.
Susanna
Susanna Hancock
Equal Opportunities Officer
HRS
Telephone: 020 8411 6873
Email: [log in to unmask]
------- End of forwarded message -------
Susanna Hancock
Equal Opportunities Officer
HRS
Telephone: 020 8411 6873
Email: [log in to unmask]
------- End of forwarded message -------
Jenny Sidery
Able Centre
Middlesex University
Queensway, Enfield EN3 4SF
020 8362 5366
[log in to unmask]
------- End of forwarded message -------
Jenny Sidery
Able Centre
Middlesex University
Queensway, Enfield EN3 4SF
020 8362 5366
[log in to unmask]
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