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What is discrimination? (in simplified version)

Discrimination is when someone treats you differently 

or when a rule gives you fewer opportunities than others 

for no good reason 

just because you are different.

You may be different from another person because:

  • you have white, black or brown skin
  • you are poor or rich
  • you have a disability
  • you are ill
  • you believe in the Jewish, Muslim or Catholic religion
  • you are young or old
  • you are tall or short, fat or thin
  • …  

There are different types of discrimination:

  • direct discrimination
  • harassment
  • indirect discrimination
  • encouraging discrimination
  • refusal of reasonable accommodation
  • hate crime
  • incitement to hatred
  • … 

All forms of discrimination are against the law.  

Direct discrimination

This is when someone treats you differently 

for no good reason 

just because you are different.

Example: 

a landlord refuses to rent you his flat 

just because you are disabled.

 

Direct discrimination is against the law.

Indirect discrimination

Indirect discrimination

is when someone makes you follow a rule that is the same for everyone. 

But this rule prevents you from doing certain things

because: 

  • you have a disability
  • you are old
  • you are tall
  • … 

Example:  

You go to the cinema.

There is no ticket office at the cinema.

You have to buy the cinema ticket with your phone. 

You don't have a phone 

or you don't know how to use the Internet. 

So you can't buy a cinema ticket. 

Because of this rule, 

you cannot go to the cinema. 

Because of this rule, anyone who 

cannot use the Internet properly 

because of their disability or age 

cannot go to the cinema and are discriminated against.  

 

This rule is called indirect discrimination

This rule is against the law.

Refusal of reasonable accommodation

All disabled people can ask for help

This help is called reasonable accommodation

The aim of reasonable accommodation is to remove an obstacle. Thanks to reasonable accommodation 

a person with a disability 

will then have the same opportunities as other people. 

Refusing reasonable accommodation 

without good reason 

is against the law.  

Example: 

You are deaf. 

You have been invited for a job interview. 

You ask for a sign language interpreter 

to help you communicate properly. 

The employer refuses to pay for the sign language interpreter and cancels your job interview.  

 

Refusing reasonable accommodation is against the law.  

Encouraging discrimination

Encouraging discrimination

is when one person orders another person

to discriminate.  

For example:  

You work in a bar.  

Your manager asks you to hire a new waiter.

But your manager tells you that he doesn't want a black waiter. 

A waiter with good experience comes along and you don't hire him because he's black.

You and your manager are discriminating.

 

You could both be punished 

because it's against the law

Harassment

Harassment is when someone wants to insult you or creates an unpleasant atmosphere for you. 

This person’s actions are meant 

to hurt you 

because you are different

For example: 

someone often makes fun of you 

because you are very tall. 

Or someone sends insulting messages by e-mail and post because you are disabled.

If it's meant to hurt you 

and if it happens often 

it's called harassment.  

 

Harassing someone by actions or words 

is against the law.

Hate crime

A hate crime is negative and violent behaviour 

directed at someone 

because they are different.

 

For example: 

someone violently hits another person 

just because he is homosexual.

 

Hate crime is against the law

Anyone who commits these acts risks going to prison.

Incitement to hatred

Incitement to hatred is the act of saying things 

or writing things 

that cause other people to attack or insult

a person or group of people 

because they are different.  

 

For example: 

someone writes on Facebook that we should kill all the black people on the planet  

 

Incitement to hatred is against the law

Do you think you've been discriminated against?

Then contact Unia:

  • By calling the free number: 0800 12 800.

Monday to Friday, 9.30 a.m. to 1 p.m.