Press Release for UKDHM 2021

Launch Tonight at 7pm UK Disability History Month for 12th Year!

Twin themes:  Disability and Hidden Impairment.Under the definition of the Equality Act, 80% of the over 14million people who are disabled have hidden impairments. They face the double whammy of being disabled, need reasonable adjustments and respect but also not being believed. They either keep quiet and pass as non-disabled, at great cost to their mental health  or they ‘come out’ and are not believed. Now is the time for change. You should own your imparirment with pride and join the Disabled People’s Movement.

Disability Relationships and Sex. Age old stereotypes continually reoccur in the media and film which see disabled people as having lives not worth living or being a burden. We are often falsely seen as incapable of adult loving sexual relationships, of being parents and even as being fully human. All these attitudes are breaches of our human rights.

Tonight at the on-line launch we will hear from: Richard Rieser, founder and coordinator. The impact of disabilism-systematic oppression and discrimination on disabled people in the above two areas; Daniel Kabede, President of the NEU. Why UKDHM is so important in educating the next generation; Marsha De Cordova MP, Why Parliament should take disabled people’s rights much more seriously; Janine Booth, TUC Disabled Workers Committee, RMT and Autism Activist. Why all those with Neurodiversity must be accepted and have their rights upheld; The filmed views of Women with Visual Impairments, Epilepsy, Dyslexia and MS [Christina Warner, Katy Farrell, Emma Charters, Yasmin Omar]; Ellen Goodey, activist, actor, speaker with Downs Syndrome. The importance of marriage to her; Mik Scarlet, journalist, actor, TV presenter and disability activist. Disability and Sexuality; Penny Pepper, writer, activist, musician. Disabled women and Sex. Film of young disabled people talking about sex.

Contact Richard Rieser 07715420727 rlrieser@gmail.com