Disability History Month Easy Read

Disability History Month

A calendar date showing November 16 and another calendar showing December 16

Disability History Month usually runs from 16 November to 16 December.

A man thinking at a table whilst resting his head on one hand.

It is a chance for us to talk about disability history,...

Three people with a circle around them to show inclusivity

...to celebrate the changes we have made in the UK to be more inclusive of people with disabilities,...

A group of people sitting in a meeting circle talking

...and to talk about what more we can do (and then do it!).

Disability History Month has been celebrated in the UK every year since 2010.

A man listening to a woman who is talking to him. Both are sitting facing each other.

Each year, there is a theme for the month.

Theme is a ‘thing’ we will be talking about that is to do with disability history.

A drawing of the UK surrounded by pictures of people with disabilities

Let’s talk a bit about disability history in the UK.

Some things about disability history can be upsetting.

But we think it is important to know about disability history so we don’t make the same mistakes again.

A man in a wheelchair holding a sign with a red cross on it

People with disabilities haven’t always been treated very well by society.

A black and white old photograph of people eating in a workhouse

In the 1800s, many people with disabilities lived in ‘workhouses’.

Workhouses were places for people who did not have enough money to support themselves.

They lived and worked there.

A young man pointing to a poster showing different types of homes

In the early 1900s, a woman called Mary Dendy set up homes for people with disabilities.

A woman looking longingly out of a window

These homes were away from the rest of the world.

A woman comforting another woman who is upset

Sometimes, parents had to give their children up because they had to earn money in a job.

An old black and white photograph of a group of men with disabilities

After World War 2, many people who fought in the war returned home with disabilities.

Over 300,000 people returned home with disabilities.

This started to change people’s minds about disability.

The NHS was set up, partly because many more people needed medical treatment.

A group of people with disabilities in front of a blank poster

The effects of World War 2 started to change people’s minds about disability.

Other things which happened also helped make people feel more positive about people with disabilities.

In 1946, Judy Fryd, a mother of a child with a learning disability , formed the organisation that would later become Mencap.

An old black and white photograph of Judy Fryd

Judy wrote to Nursery World magazine and asked for similar parents to contact her.

Many parents wrote back, replying about the lack of services for their children.

In the late 1940s, a Jewish doctor called Doctor Ludwig Guttman opened a hospital for people with injuries to their backs.

These injuries are called ‘spinal cord injuries’.

Spinal cord injuries mean people cannot walk.

An old black and white photograph of men in wheelchairs doing archery

Doctor Ludwig wanted to give his patients the chance to compete in sports.

He helped them train.

He believed it would help their physical and mental wellbeing.

A picture of a woman in a wheelchair throwing a javelin

Doctor Ludwig’s work led to the first Paralympic Games in Rome, Italy, in 1960.

People with disabilities competed against each other for the first time.

They came from lots of different countries.

Photographs of a swimmer and a basketball player

They did sports like archery, swimming and basketball.

A photograph of Para-athletes competing in a running race

There are now more than 5,000 para-athletes around the world.

Para-athletes are people who are disabled athletes.

An old black and white photograph of Paul Hunt

In 1972, a man called Paul Hunt wrote a letter to a newspaper.

Paul is a wheelchair user.

A group of people with disabilities celebrating

Paul’s letter was about making a group for disabled people.

Lots of people got in touch with Paul.

They wanted to make the UK a more accessible place.

A woman in a wheelchair thinking about her accessibility needs

At this time, people were talking more about the world and society being the problem for disabled people and not things to do with their bodies.

This is called the Social Model of Disability.

A woman with a disability speaking through a loudhailer

Disabled people started protesting.

They were protesting for their rights .

A group of people with disabilities in front of a poster which says people first

The rights they were protesting for were about access and making things accessible.

Pictures of a taxi, a bus, a minibus and a train

This included things like public transport, restaurants and bars.

A woman in a wheelchair next to a copy of the Disability Discrimination Act

After years of protests, the Disability Discrimination Act was launched in 1995.

A man in a wheelchair with his thumbs up next to a copy of the Equality Act

The Disability Discrimination Act was a law that said disabled people could not be discriminated against in public services and employment .

It is now part of the Equality Act in the UK, but it still exists on its own in Northern Ireland.

Disability in the UK today

There is a popular saying in the disability rights movement: “Nothing about us without us”.

Nothing about us without us means that all decisions about disabled people’s rights should be made by and with disabled people.

A photograph of many different disabled people doing different jobs

You will find disabled people involved in all areas of life, in many different types of jobs…

A woman with a disability on the television

…on television and in the media,…

…and in sport,…

...all living fulfilling lives.

We want the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability.