October is Blind Awareness Month and many organisations and individuals around the world will focus on education to raise awareness on the accomplishments of those who are blind

International Day of Sign Languages will be observed on Friday 23rd September, and we are taking the opportunity to raise awareness and support deaf people and other sign language users, as well as encourage members of the public to consider learning sign language.

On September 18, United Nations (UN) member states commemorated International Equal Pay Day. This day is dedicated to raising awareness of unequal pay for women and pushing to close the gender pay gap.

On May 9, we explained why the employer should take issues of sexual harassment seriously and what they should do to try to prevent it. Today we will consider what the employer should do when harassment actually occurs, that is, what would be appropriate corrective responses.

Today marks International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion, an observation on the United Nations (UN) human rights calendar. The day is designed to draw attention to those who suffered or were persecuted for trying to exercise their freedom of religion or belief.

The categories included in the Equal Opportunity Act (EOA) are broad and provide coverage for a wide range of services and accommodations. In previous columns, we discussed three categories, which are employment, education and provision of accommodation.

Section 18 of the Act refers to this category as the Provision of Accommodation and the status grounds protected by the Act are: race, ethnicity, sex, disability, marital status, origin including geographical origin and religion.

It is unlawful for any educational establishment, board, or other institution to discriminate against both applicants and/or students who are already enrolled in a school or programme, based on any of seven protected status grounds under the act.

The Equal Opportunity Act prohibits discrimination based on a person’s marital status (along with five other status grounds). According to the act, marital status means the status or condition of being: (a) single; (b) married; (c) married but living separately and apart from one’s spouse; (d) divorced; or (e) widowed.