UK Disability History Month 2024

UK Disability History Month 2024 runs from 14 November - 20 December. The theme for this year is Disability, livelihood, and employment

Throughout the month we will be posting different resources on this page which connect to UKDHM and this year’s theme.

UKDHM have a number of fantastic resources related to the history of Disabled workers, their rights, and how legislation to protect those rights came to be. The resources they have collected for this year can be found via their website, here.

Events from UKDHM

UKDHM have collated a list of events going on around the country over the next month. The full list can be found here on their website.

We wanted to highlight some events from their list:

TUC Webinar: Negotiating for Reasonable Adjustments

27 November 2024
14:00–15:00
Online
Reasonable adjustments are changes an employer makes to remove or reduce a disadvantage related to someone’s disability at work. But what is defined as ‘reasonable’ and what else should union reps know? Join us during Disability History Month for this briefing on what reps need to know about negotiating for reasonable adjustments.

A Life of My Own: Elliott Carswell seeks work

4 December 2024
8.00pm
West London Trades Union Club

West London Trades Union Club’s 2024 UK Disability History Month event is a showing of A Life of My Own: Elliott Carswell seeks work, followed by informal discussion. 8:00pm, Wednesday 4 December 2024, in the bar, 33-35 Acton High Street, London, W3 6ND, access details at https://wltuc.com/access. Free. Non-members welcome.

Hard Graft: Work, Health and Rights

Exhibition
19 September 2024 – 27 April 2025
Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE

Explore the profound impact of physical work on health and the body at our new major exhibition.

‘Hard Graft: Work, Health and Rights’ delves into the stories of underrepresented workers and their rights within precarious and unsafe labour environments. From protests to healing practices, the exhibition unveils hidden histories of resistance and collective action.

Through a collection of over 150 items, including historical objects, contemporary artworks, films and new commissions, we invite you to witness the interconnectedness of working practices across the globe and the enduring fight for workers’ rights.

Information about the exhibit can be found here.

At Graeae we pride ourselves on creating a safe working environment for our Deaf, Disabled, and neurodivergent employees, artists, and freelancers. Through our upcoming capital project, we hope to protect our building so that it can continue to be an accessible hub for our community. You can read a bit more about the project, here.

Production poster for The Jungle. Brown and tan poster that shows a disjointed image of a face with it's mouth open. The J of Jungle is made out of a large hook. Some small text gives show information on the side. — The Jungle Poster

Production photo from The Jungle. An actress at a table eating with her hands. She is a wheelchair user. She is wearing a head covering and her dress is bloody. The table in front of her is covered with a bloody tablecloth. — Production Photo from The Jungle

Production photo from The Jungle. Six actors onstage in a line. All are dressed in neutral, ragged clothing. One of the actors holds a bit of rope that looks like a noose. — Production Photo from The Jungle

The Jungle 1992-93

Graeae has a long history of producing plays that question the status quo, particularly as it relates to stigmas impacting Deaf, Disabled, and neurodivergent individuals. Productions such as, Sideshow, M3 Junction 4, and The Cornflake Box directly challenged community and government regulations that impact the livelihood of Disabled individuals. In 1992, Graeae premiered a new adaptation of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle. Adapted by Fiona Branson, The Jungle depicts the horrific working conditions within the meat packing industry in Chicago in the early 20^th Century. The novel deals with themes of immigration, poverty, and corruption and led to notable legal changes surrounding the handling and processing of meat in the United States.

Graeae’s take on The Jungle was presented in part to celebrate European Day of Disabled people. This particular adaptation added a musical element to the storytelling. It was presented as part of the Borderlands Project which presented performances with Disabled people of all ages and levels of experience. Alongside the production a number of workshops were held with young people in our community.

One reviewer stated: “…the piece, directed by Ewan Marshall, remains alive, largely through the boldness with which it tackles and intertwines its explosive themes, not simply disability, but racism, sexism and the media exploitation which accompany it.” -Rosalind Carne for The Guardian, Feb 19, 1992.

Cream background, multi-coloured confetti border. Black text reads: International Day of Disabled People 2024.

We have written a short statement in honour of International Day of Disabled People. You can find it, here.

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