From The Founder Himself Here’s Why Disability History Month Matters #DHMPT2

How switched on are people to Disability History Month?

Former teacher and disabled activist Richard Rieser, from Newington Green, is the founder of Disability History Month (DHM) and organises the month of celebration from his home.

In this podcast Richard talks us through Disability History Month 2020 and how it all began. Sparked partly by the election of a conservative government which threatened the rights of disabled people, and a conversation in which the founder of LGBTQ+ History Month asked why disabled people didn’t have their own month too, Richard began to raise support.

DHM focuses on three elements: ableism as an oppression; what is required to achieve true equality; and the celebration of that equality when it is achieved.

Having contracted polio as a baby, Richard knows about both structural barriers and literal barriers: those obstacles to navigating around London (and beyond), with a physical disability.

It’s the 11th year of DHM and this year’s theme is ‘access’ to everything from buildings and transport, to job opportunities and healthcare. Despite the fact that the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) was passed 25 years ago, the fight for access goes on.

In this podcast we talk activism, lack of ally-ship, BLM, ableism and how access is still a major barrier for disabled people in Britain.

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