Question: Equity and Equality
Click the ‘scenario’ button below to review the topic and then answer the following question:
Team Member Three filed a grievance stating that although the team seemed very inclusive on the outside, they felt hidden disabilities were not acknowledged or respected on the same level as visible disabilities. The specifics of the grievance were that Team Member Three needed to take ADHD and anxiety medicine at a certain time every day for it to be effective. Their partner in the project, Team Member Four, had Parkinson’s Disease and needed to take their medication at the same time to avoid tremors that made it difficult to perform. Since someone had to always be at the station, Team Member Three, who was diagnosed with ADHD and anxiety, was expected to “wait” because their needs were not seen as physical needs, and they needed to give priority to Team Member Four because they were the “person with the ‘real’ medical disability.” Due to the security of the worksite, the doors are opened to let people in or out only once every hour.
In an attempt to develop an empathetic strategy to benefit everyone, the proposed solution was deemed equal because both team members had an opportunity to leave to take their medication within an hour. Although not at the same time, both were given the resource/allowance to take a break.
Question: Explain how allowing the person that was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease to take their medication at the exact time that was needed while expecting the person that was diagnosed with ADHD/anxiety to wait until the next available time is considered an equal solution and not an equitable solution through your evaluation?
