Settle a debate - disability discrimination?

[HollyBollyBooBoo]

If an advert for a job says 'must be able to read without glasses' is that discrimination?

@Mooshering but there are loads of conditions that prevent people from wearing contacts.

[quote HollyBollyBooBoo]@crackingreward because the glasses steam up because of oil and steam and therefore slow the operative down on serving. [/quote]

But lots of people wear glasses and fry fish, I'm not sure that's a reason at all.

The Equality Act excludes vision as a disability where it can be corrected by glasses.

Maybe they've had to retrieve some deep fried varifocals from the fryer before now?

@HollyBollyBooBoo

It's a chip shop, they reckon glasses steam up and it slow the process down as the person wearing the glasses can't see clearly.

Lol!

@lifeturnsonadime

The Equality Act excludes vision as a disability where it can be corrected by glasses.

Yes, could be age discrimination though. Indirect. But they could claim it's objectively justifiable of course.

Where is the advert?

I don’t think it’s discrimination, there’s a good reason for not employing someone who wears glasses.

There are other jobs that have physical requirements, like I think you have to have good enough eyesight to be a pilot, police have to do fitness tests.

I could easily read a ticket without my glasses.

Being able to do any of the rest of the job would be a nightmare as I have severe astigmatism and the world is a blur Uncorrected!

Id be tempted to apply purely based on the fact I'd meet the requirement of being able to read without them

Yes, could be age discrimination though. Indirect. But they could claim it's objectively justifiable of course.

Mmm not sure it's not only older people who need glasses, my whole family has needed them to correct short sightedness from early childhood.

@lifeturnsonadime

Yes, could be age discrimination though. Indirect. But they could claim it's objectively justifiable of course.

Mmm not sure it's not only older people who need glasses, my whole family has needed them to correct short sightedness from early childhood.

It doesn't need to be "only" (and I didn't say that), it only has to disproportionately affect those people and it's true that older people are more likely to wear glasses.

Obviously I know it's not only older people, I've had glasses since I was nine.

Yes I know. I'm just still not sure about the indirect age angle because so many young people also wear glasses. I"m not sure it is disproportionate enough. I'm not an optometrist though.

I think they have a point. Glasses do steam up in certain environments and it does obscure your vision. They’re not saying they won’t employ anyone who wears glasses. They are alerting potential applicants to something they need to be able to do.

@HeddaGarbled

I think they have a point. Glasses do steam up in certain environments and it does obscure your vision. They’re not saying they won’t employ anyone who wears glasses. They are alerting potential applicants to something they need to be able to do.

Surely they are saying that they won't employ someone who wear glasses? Because if you can't read without them then you won't get the job.

Glasses are worn by plenty of people who fry fish btw, this 'environmental' reason is bollocks.

Totally depends on the job.

Example, it would never be okay to say 'needs to be a black man' in recruiting for, say, a job at Tesco.

But it would be perfectly fine to specify that for a role of Nelson Mandela in a play, for example.

It needs to be a reasonable request.

I think they have a point. Glasses do steam up in certain environments and it does obscure your vision

They don't really. There are loads of ways to keep your glasses clear

Regarding age - the ad says must be able to read without glasses, which refers to long sight, which is primarily age related. Most people wearing glasses in their 20s/30s will be short sighted.
They won't be able to say it's for a good business reason if the person can show lots of examples of glasses wearing chop shop workers in other businesses!
Maybe they need to improve the ventilation?

There are loads of ways to keep your glasses clear

Don’t work in a fish & chip shop, for example.

I wear glasses. None of the “ways” work in the wrong environmental conditions.