Disability History Month

Disability History Month 2022

16th November - 16th December

As we celebrate this year’s UK Disability History Month and acknowledge many positive achievements within our community, we also recognise that these are very challenging times for disabled people. Having ‘survived’ a decade of austerity followed by a global pandemic, both of which have had a disproportionate impact on the lives of disabled people, we prepare ourselves for cuts to services that we fear will affect us more than others. When resources are scarce, the voices of disabled people often go unheard.

The battle for justice, recognition and equality is ongoing but it’s not a battle we face alone. We draw strength from the struggles that others have overcome and find friends and allies in the wider community that supports us – as we ourselves embrace, give voice to, and encourage everyone to value difference in our society.

Accordingly, the theme for this for this year is: Becoming Disability Confident. There are many ways we can become disability confident whether as disabled individuals, or friends, family, partners, and allies of disabled people.

Throughout this year’s Disability History Month (16 November – 16 December), the University of Wolverhampton will present a series of FREE online events (see below for details) – available for all students, staff and the public to attend – designed to help us all become disability confident. We have talks from inspirational individuals, including Hamied Haroon, Chair of NADSN (National Association of Disabled Staff Networks), as well as contributions from many organisations that support disabled people.

This is an opportunity to celebrate our achievements and learn from each other’s experiences as we lay the foundations for a more inclusive future. A future that includes everyone, not just disabled people, because disability is everyone’s business and a better world for disabled people is a better world for everyone. 

Meet the Co-Chairs of the Disabled Staff Network

Disability History Month 2021

 / Mike Layward: We are Invisible, We are Visible / Family Planning: The Lived Experience Through Art - Panel Discussion / Paul Darke: Why Bother? The Art of Disability - Practice Does Not Make the Perfect (Disrupting Bodies) / Sam Rapp: UN International Day for Disabled People / Deb Alma: Poetry on Prescription: Creative Writing & Wellbeing /Jennifer Gilbert: How a Manchester Gallery Supports Disabled and Neurodivergent Artists Tony Heaton: The Art of Disability History; A personal view through NDACA (the national disability arts collection and archive)