St. Mary's Airport in the Isles of Scilly, off the Southwest tip of England, has created a stir by running an advertisement seeking an Air Traffic Controller, and offering application packages in Braille. The ad itself can be seen here, including the surprising sentence, "If you require this document in an alternative language, in larger text, Braille, easy read or in an audio format, please contact the Community Relations Officer on diversity..."
The airport's website further notes that Air Traffic Controllers must use skill and judgment to keep an eye on changing weather conditions, because, "the work of controllers here is not over-dependant (sic) upon very costly and sophisticated electronic equipment." A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority added that Air Traffic Controllers would need 20/20 vision, whether naturally or with the aid of glasses or contact lenses.
St. Mary's offer of an application in Braille created controversy locally and worldwide, drawing both criticism and praise. A spokesman for the local council said the wording was included on all job advertisements, and the Royal National Insitute for the Blind praised the airport for "good practice." The RNIB said it hoped more employers would do the same.
However, others criticized the airport for going overboard with "political correctness. Keri Jones, host of Radio Scilly, said the ads had attracted widespread ridicule. A blogger, categorizing the job advertisement as "Nutty News," noted that, "It is a job where one wrong move can mean the loss of dozens of lives."
What do you think? Is an advertisement offering a Braille application for a position requiring 20/20 vision silly, or inclusive? Political correctness gone wrong, or a welcome gesture of goodwill toward the blind community?
