DEMOS Project - Module: Disability Awareness

Towards inclusion?

It was many decades before any large-scale moves were made towards granting all disabled people a place back in mainstream society. The sixties and seventies saw a move towards community care but this was still seen as institutionalised with the interests of the professional in mind rather than the people in care.

During the seventies and eighties several reports and acts on segregated care and education for disabled people were published e.g. the Warnock Report (1978) on special educational needs and the Jay report (1979) on mental handicap (sic) nursing. At the same time there was a political movement that arose amongst disabled people who formed organisations such as the Union of Physically Impaired Against Segregation (UPIAS).

Legislation

In the UK the Disability Discrimination Act became law in 1995 and the act was extended to include all aspects of education in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (2001).

Similar legislation that focuses on the rights of disabled people has been passed in other countries - e.g. the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Australian Disability Act. HEIs in the UK might learn from the experiences in these countries when planning provision. (See: http://www.natdisteam.ac.uk/Newsletter_3/news3_page34.htm)

Although legislation has sought to increase the participation of disabled people into mainstream activities of society it is claimed by many disabled activists and disabled people's groups that the inclusivity and full citizenship for disabled people has not yet been achieved.

If you would like to view a selection of readings from disability writers see:
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies/archiveuk/

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