Disability History Month is a relatively new event considering how far back Disability History goes.
In the UK, Disability History Month has only been celebrated since 2010. Each year it has a different theme. The theme is the ‘thing’ that participants will be talking about and relating it to disability history. This year’s theme is Livelihood and Employment
The organisers and founders of UK Disability History Month stated that the key purpose of the month will be to raise awareness of the unequal position of disabled people in society and to advocate disability equality; to develop an understanding of the historical roots of this inequality; to highlight the significance of disabled people’s struggles for equality and inclusion and the ‘social model’ of disability; to publicise and argue for the implementation of the Unite Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities and the Equalities Act (2010).
You’ll appreciate that this is a very wide remit but the one point we should never overlook is the need to understand Disability History – being disabled is not, and should not, be a badge of shame, we should be proud to identify as disabled and to be prepared to stand up and demand equal treatment
If we take this year’s theme of Livelihood and Employment we can ask a wide range of questions. One issue that I have personally been involved in promoting is accessibility and inclusion in the workplace, so you may ask, what does that actually mean?
We need to remember that most buildings, workplaces, public spaces and houses have been designed by non-disabled people for non-disabled people. To say that the needs of disabled people have been overlooked would probably be being too generous – the reality is that their needs have not even been thought about.
If you think that you work in an accessible and inclusive workplace I would be interested to see if you can answer yes to all of these questions:
Does your workplace have disabled parking bays that are located near to the entrance of the workplace? Are non-disabled people prevented from parking in them?
Is the entrance to your workplace level of are there steps to the entrance regardless of how many steps?
If there are steps to the entrance is there also a ramp that can be used by wheelchair and mobility scooter users and those with mobility problems?
If the entrance to your workplace leads to a reception is the reception desk adjustable so that disabled people can access it? That is, the reception desk should come down to a level where a wheelchair user can see over it?
If your workplace is on more than one floor is there a lift to the other floors?
If yes, can the lift accommodate a wheelchair or mobility scooter? Don’t just say yes, check it out.
Are the buttons to summon the elevator at the level of a wheelchair user?
Are all doorways and entrance sufficiently wide for a wheelchair to get through?
Does your workplace have clear signage to enable people t find where they are looking for in the workplace?
Is the signage in sufficiently large type for visibly impaired people to read?
Are there hearing loops to enable deaf and hard of hearing people to hear any announcements and to talk to reception staff?
Do you know how many disabled people there are in your workplace both those with physical disabilities and those with non-visible disabilities?
Does your workplace have disabled accessible toilets?
How many of your managers and senior staff identify as disabled?
How many of your trade union reps self-identify as disabled and do you have any union rep that specifically represents disabled workers?
These are just a few questions but there are many more. The issues covered by Employment and Livelihood are much broader than the questions that I have listed above, for example, if you are disabled and want to work is public transport – trains and buses – accessible for disabled people and this is not just about the stations and bus stops being wheelchair accessible it is also about whether they have hearing loops and information readily available for people with visual impairments as well as blind people.
If you wish to own or rent a house or flat is it wheelchair accessible? Are all the work surfaces at a level that is accessible to wheel chair users? Can all the power sockets and light switches be reached by a person in a wheel chair? Is their level access to the property and if you have to use a lift to reach the property is it wheelchair accessible? Just importantly, if the lift breaks down will it be repaired quickly? That is, within a few hours?
If as part of your work you need to undertake a course of study or undertake ‘mandatory training’ is your place of learning fully accessible?
When you go into work how accessible is it both for wheelchair users as well as other disabled people?
At the moment there are more questions than answers and when we consider employment then we must also consider how disabled people are treated when they are not working or when they simply cannot work?
Is the benefits system able to adapt to the needs of disabled people and provide them with the necessary financial support.
It is my opinion, which is shared by many others, that the benefit system in the UK is based on ableist assumptions which discriminate against disabled people. If you are in any doubt about this read John Pring’s book The Department – here is a link to my review of the book https://www.all4inclusion.org/post/institutional-inhumanity
Let me conclude this blog by inviting you to attend the ‘official launch of Disability History Month UK’ TOMORROW starting at 7.00pm. You can register and reserve your FREE place at this online webinar by following this link https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/launch-united-kingdom-disability-history-month-2024-ukdhm-tickets-1037803356777
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