UK Disability History Month 2022

UK Disability History Month (UKDHM) is held annually and aims to highlight the rights of persons with disabilities and their historical and present struggle for human rights and equality. This year's focus is on the theme of Disability, Health and Wellbeing.

Please see below for the latest UCL events marking the month, plus podcasts, opportunities to get involved and key resources – and mark your calendars for Saturday 3 December, when the Portico will be lit purple for International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Events

26 November – [IN PERSON/FOR STUDENTS]: The Disability History Month Crafternoon – brought to you by Students' Union UCL  | BOOK NOW

Like drawing, colouring or crafting – even if you're bad? Same here but that shouldn't stop you! Come join us for a fun crafternoon – a chill non-judgmental space to get creative and doodle. Let's make art for the community, by the community!

26 November – [IN PERSON/FOR STAFF AND STUDENTS]: What shapes quality of life of visually impaired children and young people? | BOOK NOW

Join an upcoming Mary Kitzinger Trust workshop at the UCL Institute of Child Health to explore research and practice aspects related to promoting positive outcomes for young people with visual impairment. The workshop will include a sandwich lunch and dedicated time for open discussion, plus networking opportuntities.

30 November – [IN PERSON/FOR STUDENTS]: Disability History Month Coffee Afternoon – brought to you by Students' Union UCL | BOOK NOW

Regsiter via the Union's webpage to join the Disabled Students' Network for a chat and coffee. The event will be wheelchair accessible and takes place from 1:30–3pm at the Print Room Café on campus.

1 December – [VIRTUAL/FOR STAFF]: Student Health and Wellbeing workshop on mental health and neurodivergence | REGISTER HERE

Lucy Smith – Specific Learning Differences Coordinator within the Disability, Mental Health and Wellbeing department – will be sharing a personal view of living with mental health problems as a neurodivergent person at this workshop for UCL staff.       

2 December – [IN PERSON AND VIRTUAL/FOR ALL]: Celebrating International Day of Persons with Disabilities | REGISTER HERE

UCL Student Support and Wellbeing is delighted to be hosting this upcoming conference to mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which takes place on 3 December. This year’s theme is “Transformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in fuelling an accessible and equitable world”; the event will feature presentations from multiple speakers and will be fully accessible with BSL interpreters and a speech-to-text reporter. 

13 December – [VIRTUAL/FOR STAFF]: Disability History Month Drop-In with Seyi – brought to you by Students' Union UCL | MORE INFO

Seyi Osi –  Equity and Inclusion Officer. at Students' Union UCL – will be holding digital space from 5–6:30pm to hear from disabled students at UCL on how they would like to be supported, represented and listened to. 

14 December – [VIRTUAL/FOR ALL]: Inclusive Spaces: Disability-Inclusive Design for Climate Resilient Cities | BOOK NOW

Disabled people are more likely to be impacted by the climate crisis and disasters, but design solutions and processes still often lack accessibility, and don’t meaningfully include disabled people in the design of a resilient future. This needs to change. Lead by The Bartlett Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) group, this online event explores the impact of the climate crisis on disabled people, and inclusive design for climate resilience.

Opportunities

Expert Bench: Lived Experience

The Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) has established Expert Bench: Lived Experience, an opportunity for people with specific experience of disability or living with an impairment or health condition to provide expert insights and reflections to drive disability innovation impact.

GDI Hub welcomes experts from across the world to join and will reach out to members with new opportunities as they arise. Please see the Experts Bench: Lived Experience webpage for more information on getting involved.

Students: help to shape UCL’s future inclusive and accessible learning spaces

UCL Library Services would like to hear from students who are disabled, neurodivergent or dealing with impairment on how we can promote an inclusive and accessible university for all.

Please fill in this form to be sent the online questionnaire to your email. The first 50 students who complete the questionnaire will receive a £10 voucher.

Podcasts and recordings

Inclusive Innovators: Kamran Mallick, CEO of Disability Rights UK 
LISTEN HERE | TRANSCRIPT

The UCL Inclusive Innovators podcast series marked International Day for Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) with an episode featuring Kamran Mallick, CEO of Disability Rights UK. Here, they speak to Kamran about the importance of accessibility in innovation.

Interventions to address Intellectual Disability Stigma 
WATCH HERE (CAPTIONS AVAILABLE)

In this Lunch Hour Lecture, Professor Katrina Scior, Lisa Richardson and Harry Roche present research on a range of interventions to combat the stigma of intellectual disability. 

Climate and crisis, Disability-inclusive resilience in cities
WATCH HERE | SIGN SANGUAGE RECORDING

This event, led by the GDI Hub and featuring panellists the World Blind Union, National Institute of Urban Affairs (India) and RISE, explores global opportunities for disability-inclusive, resilient cities – now and into the future.

#MadeAtUCL.: Levelling the playing field
LISTEN HERE | TRANSCRIPT

This episode, part of the #MadeAtUCL podcast series, explores how we can make our world more accessible, how legal experts are helping people to get the support they are entitled to, and diversity in advertising.

The GDI Hub at COP26
WATCH HERE | TRANSCRIPT

In a trailblazer side event, the GDI Hub argue that, as we make plans to halt climate change and live greener, cleaner, and better, inclusion should be at the core.

This webpage is being updated with additional events as they are announced. If you are hosting a UCL event for UK Disability History Month that you would like included here, please get in touch.