Fighting Disabled People's Exclusion - 2018

In September 2018 Simon Mckeown was invited to speak about the history of the UK's invalid carriages in a series of 'fringe' events at the Labour Party conference along side disability activists including Labours Shadow Minister for Disabled People.

The ICR is apolitical however we will take any opportunity to remind politicians and government officials of the historic provision of mobility by the NHS and more broadly the unique provision of disability support and vehicles by the UK Government over many decades.

The sessions were organised by Miro Griffiths, who is a disability activist and academic on human rights at the University of Leeds. Miro e

xplored how disabled people’s activism and social movements have consistently challenged the social structures that perpetuate disabled people’s marginalisation.

Miro advises and collaborates on projects to address marginalisation and oppression. He advises the UK Government, European Commission and local, national and international organisations. According to the Disability News Service, he is considered one the most influential disabled people in Britain. Further information on his background is at: https://ljmu.academia.edu/MiroGriffiths

Dr Paul Darke – Director of Outside Centre and an internationally respected academic, writer and cultural critic who has written extensively and created texts focusing on the issue of identity and culture. He is also the originator of Normality Theory after doing a PhD at University of Warwick (disability and its cultural specificities and impact). He now works and travels throughout Europe.

Julie Ward - Julie worked in the cultural sector, running an arts and disability agency, before being elected Labour MEP for the NW of England in 2014. She now sits on the European Parliament’s Culture and Education Committee and is a link MEP for UNCRPD. In 1998 she gained a university certificate in “Disability Arts Training and Employment”.

Dr Janet Price - Janet worked in International Public Health focusing on health equity, in particular: sexual, disability and gender justice. She combined research, education, development and activism as inter-related aspects of her commitment and was made an Honorary Fellow at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. She is interested in the role of the Arts as a route towards Queer, Crip and gender rights.