UK Disability History Month 2022

Wednesday 16th November 2022 to Friday 16th December 2022

Theme: Disability, Health and Well Being

The lead image shows a large red heart on a yellow background. The hart contains the text 'Disability, health and well being'. A large crack runs down the length of the heart, separating the words.

The Covid Pandemic has demonstrated across the UK and around the world just how fragile are the Rights disabled people have secured for themselves and how easily we become expendable.

At the heart of this appalling state of affairs is that we are only conditionally human. Our rights whether we live in institutions, care homes or independently in our own homes and the community, can be ridden over by politicians, medical professionals or the population in general judging the world by ableist standards and practising deeply entrenched disabilist responses. Where we are counted in a disaggregated we find disabled people were not protected and had by far the highest preventable death rate. Where more progressive Governments such as in Wales are facing up to this situation a disabled led enquiry is leading to real change

Locked out: liberating disabled people’s lives and rights in Wales beyond COVID-19

Because of the obsession with a medical model approach to disability, the barriers that compromise our health, now and in the past, are not identified and acted upon. We are held responsible for our conditions rather than providing us with the support and health care we need.

Young people with Learning Difficulties were at the sharp end with up to 20x the death rated from Covid (ONS)

Crises of war and pandemic create Mental Health Issues. Despite the Government Rhetoric support and services for those with metal health have not improved.

The years of austerity aimed at disabled people and destroying our well- being arise from deeply held perceptions of our unworthiness rooted in the past history of our oppression.

UKDHM will examine this history and provide examples of how this denial of human rights can and will be reversed.

Launch Event

Watch the 2022 Launch Event here.

A playlist of the individual contributions can be seen here.

Subtitles will be added shortly.

Download the 2022 broadsheet here:

Posters

Download the printable poster to let others know about UKDHM!

Find more resources here: