Tall. Short. Heavy set. Thin. Gay. Straight. Wealthy. Poor. African American. Caucasian. Indian. Hispanic. Elderly. Young. Disabled. Non-disabled. There are many different types of ways we categorize people. In today’s day in age, we are taught not to discriminate against any type of minority. While, in theory, being non-discriminatory is certainly correct way, we all discriminate. Most of the time, we don’t even realize that we’re doing it. It’s human nature to favor people who have similar characteristics as you. People have to make conscious efforts not to have bias towards people who have different characteristics than they do. The question is often brought up debating whether or not giving minorities priority over certain things. According to Google, affirmative action is “a policy aimed at increasing workplace and educational opportunities for people who are underrepresented in various areas of our society.” People with disabilities is one of the minorities affirmative action often affects.

Late last month, the Supreme Court ruled against a legal precedent that allows college and universities to use race as a factor when deciding admission. Basically, it means they can’t accept or deny a person based on race. The specific case refers to Harvard University and North Carolina University, but the ruling will affect all universities. Previously, colleges could take race of applicants into consideration when deciding admission. 

I hadn’t been following the case closely, and when my mom texted me about it, my first reaction was, “well, I agree with that… Why would people be able to make decisions about admission based on a person’s race?” Initially, when I learned about the concept of using a factor physical characteristic in determining admission to universities I immediately thought “well, my disability wasn’t a factor in my acceptance to UW-Whitewater, was it?” It was over 20 years ago that I applied, but I don’t remember checking a box saying that I had a disability. Now, yes, I did mention that I had a disability in the essay, but I can’t say whether or not it was a deciding factor in my acceptance.  While I certainly hope that the decision wasn’t solely based on the fact that I had a disability, if the people who read the essay were positively influenced by my essay, that’s fine.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot since the court decision was made. Is it fair to give bias about certain things to minorities? I can see both sides of the argument. On one hand, I don’t think it’s right to give opportunities to people based on physical/ethnical/sexual characteristics. On the other hand, though, people in minorities deserve a chance, and that chance may only happen because of affirmative action. I believe it’s a really fine line. I don’t think it’s right that people who are in minorities be awarded opportunities just so schools or businesses can meet a certain quota; however, I think it’s really important that places take the whole individual into consideration when making decisions. To me, the whole individual means every aspect of the person. In other words, don’t just base the decision on a sole factor, but rather, consider things like their background, skills, traits, etc… collectively to decide.

Have I benefited from affirmative action? Absolutely—without a doubt. Working in the disability advocacy field, it’s kind of unique. While I know that I’m employed by the three organizations I am because I do have a disability, I’m hoping that’s not the sole reason why they hired me. I hope they see other characteristics and traits in me that make a good employee. In this situation, my hope is that they see my disability as a bonus as I can use my personal experiences to help others. I can’t say for sure, but I think the organizations I work with do see it that way.

The recent ruling is probably viewed as a disappointment among most in the disability community. While, yes, I understand why it was important to have affirmative action in universities, I also think it’s a great opportunity for schools and businesses to reevaluate the criteria they use to make important decisions. There needs to be a balance between having the skills or traits needed to fulfill the requirements of the particular opportunity and taking life circumstances into consideration. It’s truly unfair to make a detrimental decision unless both concepts are considered together. Unfortunately, I think it will be quite some time before that becomes the norm in society, but I have hope as we move toward a more inclusive country!

***The views expressed here are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of InControl Wisconsin, the Network or any of our sponsors.