Equity vs Equality: Are We Too Fixated on Equality?

Facilitated by Dan Biddle

The phrase “equal opportunities” has, over the years, become the cornerstone of the quest for greater equality, whether in the workplace or society at large. But do we truly understand the role that equity plays in achieving equality?

For us as a business we see equality as the paradise we aim to reach, while equity is the vessel that carries us there. Without equity, the fair allocation of resources, support, and opportunities tailored to individual needs, true equality remains an aspiration rather than a reality.

In this webinar, Dan Biddle, the worst injured survivor of the 7/7 terror attacks in London 2005, consultant and author, will cover:

• Understanding the Difference Between Equity and Equality
• Practical Strategies for Implementing Equity
• Transforming Organisational Culture

About the facilitator 

Dan Biddle is the worst injured survivor of the 7/7 terror attacks in London 2005. At the age of 26, he was a fit and healthy Projects Manager working in the construction field and was incredibly high on life when he heard the news that London had won the bid for the 2012 Olympics.

Standing right next to a suicide bomber on the ill fated tube that had just left Edgware Road station, Dan had no idea that his world would forever be changed. Unusually, Dan has full recollection from the moment the bomb went off to the aftermath being trapped in the tunnel to the moment he was sedated in hospital. He has seen, heard, smelt and tasted things that you could not possibly imagine unless you have been through something similar.

As a result of the bombing, he lost both legs, an eye, his spleen and had a whole catalogue of other life threatening injuries. On the day of the bombing he died three times and ended up having his chest cut open and a surgeon manually pump his heart.

When Dan realised things would never be the same again – that he would never work as a Projects Manager again, he began to try and turn things around from his hospital bed. During his 52 week stay in hospital in which he underwent 70 operations, he became a qualified Consultant through the NRAC with a growing realisation that the world was not geared up for a disabled person.

Unfortunately, it was not all plain sailing since the bombing. With a lack of support and years of bottled up torment, combined with constant nightmares and flashbacks – in 2013 he tried to take his own life on three separate occasions. After his third suicide attempt, his girlfriend sought help for Dan’s PTSD, two years later he went on to marry the love of his life. In 2014 Dan set up his own award winning business, dealing with accessibility and inclusion issues. He has become an advocate for Gwent Police, giving training to new recruits around disability awareness and hate crime and also sits on the Independent Advisory Group for the police.

Dan constantly demonstrates that despite horrendous circumstances, it does not have to be the end. He says “It does not mean that you have to say goodbye to your hopes, dreams and aspirations!”

As such Dan has built a company that specialises in promoting equity in employment and supporting disabled people in to work, as well as working with employers to make their recruitment processes more accessible and inclusive, for Dan believes that “It is not a lack of capability but more a lack of opportunity”.