Response to Belfast City Council draft EQIA on bilingual signage
CAJ has responded to the public consultation on the draft Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) carried out by Belfast City Council in relation to the proposal for bilingual signage at the Olympia Leisure Centre in Belfast.
Our response focuses largely on whether the correct methodology was followed in relation to the EQIA. Usually, the intended trigger for an EQIA is an equality screening identifying potential major adverse impacts on equality of opportunity. In this instance, however, an EQIA instead proceeded on minor ‘good relations’ grounds. We are concerned at the broader ripple effect of the adoption of this approach.
In our submission, we also recommend the final EQIA incorporate a number of revisions, including a section added assessing positive impacts on equality of opportunity of the signage policy.
Download the full submission here.