Disability History Month 2020

If you are regular in activist circles or are yourself disabled, the you may already know that this month is Disability History Month. This year’s Disability History Month is focused on the theme of access, giving us an opportunity to reflect on how far we’ve come in the fight for disability access and how far we still have to go to build a society that is truly accessible and open to disabled people.

2020 also marks 25 years since the mass protests that pressured the government into passing the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. This act made it illegal to discriminate against a person because of their disability. Whilst it’s undeniable that there are still gaps in the rights and protections for disabled people, the DDA was a significant victory for disability rights activist and laid the groundwork for future progress to be made on disability rights. This month, Disability History Month is focussing on the 25 years since the DDA was passed, asking how far we've come, and how far we still have to go. 

As we emerge from a second national lockdown, it would be remiss of me not to mention how the COVID crisis has opened many people's eyes to the importance of accessibility.