To mark the forthcoming 20th anniversary of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) on 8 November, PHM and Scope have launched an appeal for stories and materials to establish a new collection to record and commemorate the movement that led to this landmark law.
The collection will help the museum to position the campaign for disability rights in the museum’s wider human rights story. There will also be a new temporary exhibition at the museum to mark the anniversary of the DDA and for the first two weeks of November, Scope will be sharing the stories and memories of some of the DDA’s campaigners on its website.
Scope’s Head of Campaigns, Richard Lane said: ‘We’re really excited to partner with the People’s History Museum to mark the 20th anniversary of the Disability Discrimination Act, a law that significantly improved the lives of many disabled people in Britain. This change in the law only came about because disabled campaigners fought tirelessly to make the world a better place. To mark this momentous anniversary we’re telling the stories of the individuals and activists who made this change possible. A lot has been done, but there’s still lots to do, and we’ll be highlighting the work that still needs to be done before disabled people are truly equal in this country.’
Though other civil rights struggles from the same time are better known, the DDA campaign has been important in the UK’s journey to equality and democracy. The movement saw passionate activists fighting for equality in inspiring acts of non-violent direct action as well as parliamentary lobbying, but the DDA’s history remains untold, despite over 11 million people across Great Britain having disabilities.
The museum’s Curator Chris Burgess said: ‘While the People’s History Museum tells the story about people’s fight for a better world, our collection relating to the campaign for disability rights needs more content. This is a great opportunity for us to ensure that this story is preserved now and for future generations.’
