What does being treated fairly mean?
Fairness means treating everybody with dignity and respect, while ensuring they get the support they need to make choices and achieve their goals.
People with learning disabilities describe fairness in relation to gender-based violence as:
Being treated with respect:
“When they listen to you and that they understand what you’re going through. And … give you good advice.”
– Person with a learning disability, Hutchison, 2024a
Being treated the same as others:
“Fairness means treating people equally … Being treated like everybody else”
– Person with a learning disability, Hutchison, 2024a
Being treated differently to others in certain circumstances:
“Like everyone doesn’t get treated the same but everyone gets as much help as they need. Because obviously we’re different people with different abilities and stuff.”
– Person with a learning disability, Hutchison, 2024a
Here are examples of how this can help:
- being offered longer appointments
- being able to get appointments at different times and places
- being able to see the same person all of the time
- being supported to understand information, communicate and make decisions
- being given information in formats that are accessible to the person
- being able to bring a supporter to appointments.
These are called reasonable adjustments.
You can get more information about reasonable adjustments by watching this video:
Watch the Reasonable Adjustments video on YouTube here.
Although the video focuses on healthcare, the principles remain the same for any service provider.
A lack of prejudice and discrimination:
Organisations can discriminate against women with learning disabilities without meaning to, for example, when some people can read their website but others can’t.
“They make sure that I’m okay, that I understand everything that’s going on, that I ain’t stressed, erm they’ve said that if the police need to speak to them and then she can explain it to me. It makes it easier.”
– Person with a learning disability, Hutchison, 2024aa
