LAUNCH UK DISABILITY HISTORY MONTH 2020 WEDNESDAY 18th NOVEMBER 7-9pm ONLINE.
Theme of 11th Year of UK Disability History Month is
ACCESS: HOW FAR HAVE WE COME ? HOW FAR DO WE HAVE TO GO?
25 years after the Disability Discrimination Act (replaced by the Equality Act 2010). 11 years since the UK Government ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Convention. The answer is not nearly far enough. Access is a Human Right according to UNCRPD Article 9.
14 million UK citizens are disabled people. Includes all those with mental health issues, neuro-diverse people and those with physical or sensory impairments. There is an immediate duty on all providers of goods, services, transport and employment to make reasonable adjustments. Disabled people have had to police these requirements themselves.
Speakers:
John McDonnell MP. Having an invisible impairment and political change for disabled people’s rights.
Micheline Mason. Long term campaigner for rights and inclusive education. Local Access and housing.
Mik Scarlet. Journalist and campaigner. How things have changed.
Doug Paulley. Personal battles to the Supreme Court to be able to ride on a bus.
Dr Armineh Soorenian. Research into school Access Plans (a statutory requirement). How they are failing disabled pupils.
Jonathan Bryan. 14 year old boy with cerebral palsy, was wrongly labelled as PMLD, sent to special school, how his mother helped him to read and write using Eyegaze. He moved to mainstream and wrote the book ‘Eye Can Write’.
Louise Regan. National Education Union Equalities and Membership. Impact of Covid 19 on Access.
Tara Flood. Co Production and including disabled people in Local Government planning.
Roisin Rodney. CEO Safety Net People First. Barriers for People with Learning Difficulties.
Emma Dalmayne. CEO Autistic Inclusive Meets. The barriers for people with Autism.
Marsha da Cordova MP. Barriers for a visually impaired politician.
Raza Griffiths. Mental Health Activist. Intersectionality. How medical thinking blocks independent living.
Richard Rieser. Coordinator of UKDHM. Over history committed disabled people, allies and the Disabled People’s Movement have had to struggle to implement access.
Governments have to ensure access is in place everywhere and work towards universal design.
Where are we? Some progress – transport and communication
• Built environment and services – many failings
• Education – going backwards.