Disability History Month 2024 at UCL

14 November 2024

UK Disability History Month 2024 runs from 14 November to 20 December. Find out more about what's happening throughout the month, plus key resources and more information.

Three Black and disabled people laugh together while walking on a windy day.

Foreword

Professor Alison Koslowski, Pro Provost (Equity & Inclusion) and Co-Director of the Thomas Coram Research Unit, and Pip Jackson, Head of Inclusive Environments within Campus Experience and Infrastructure, write:

"Disability History Month (DHM) allows us time to recognise both the history and the ongoing struggle of disabled people to live in a world with many societal barriers, such as out of service lifts! (There are plenty of other examples). This year, Disability History Month runs from 14 November to 20 December 2024 and the theme is livelihood and employment.

Whilst we have come far in terms of how disabled people are treated, valued and viewed in society, we have by no means come far enough. Both of us experience discrimination and prejudice on an almost daily basis, including in the context of our workplace. Disabled people are often underestimated in term of the skills they bring, not least in terms of problem solving and creative solutions to challenges. The theme of livelihood and employment is pertinent to UCL as we await the results of this November’s staff survey. The last staff survey showed a significant gap in how disabled individuals at UCL felt compared to their non-disabled peers, and work has been underway to improve how disabled people feel at UCL. We encourage staff to let us know how we are doing in this latest survey.

The Disability Equality Implementation Group will shortly report to UMC with an action plan on how we take the disability work much further forward at UCL – for staff and students. Each of us at UCL can play a part in taking this work forward and DHM gives us each an opportunity to reflect on how we can play our part in continuing the work that others have done before us. What will you do this month?"

Books and book recommendations

UCL Library Services are compiling a list of book recommendations from across the UCL community to mark UK DHM 2024.

The book(s) you recommend don’t have to follow the national theme. We are looking for books that explore the rich legacy and contributions of people with disabilities. Recommend your book here!

In the meantime Pip Jackson, our Head of Inclusive Environments, has compiled a comprehensive list of recommended inclusive reading (and listening!) for adults, teens and kids, covering disability as well as other subjects like race and sexuality. You can see these on the Inclusive Environments SharePoint.

Events

Events will be updated throughout the month – if you have something you’d like to add to this list please let us know on internalcommunications@ucl.ac.uk.

20 November–5 December (various events): Student Success: Disability History Month

Join the Student Success Office as we celebrate Disability History Month with a range of talks and workshops, ranging from how we can support neurodivergent students to how we use artificial intelligence as a tool for inclusive learning.

15 November – Techs@EDI Coffee Morning

Join us from 10am-12pm at Marshgate on our UCL East campus, for a lab tour and presentation on Accessibility and Inclusive Design in Lab Settings, followed by discussion over refreshments. All technical and professional services staff welcome.

19 November: UCL Careers Neurodiversity in the workplace – celebrating your strengths and thinking about the adjustments you might need

If you’re a neurodivergent student thinking about employment or work experience, come along to our online session to hear from our panel.

26 November: UCL Careers Career Essentials: Discussing Disabilities or Health Conditions with Employers

An online session offering advice for students about discussing disability in the workplace.

11 December: Disability History Month Conference 2024

Join UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services and UCL Student Success to celebrate Disability History Month at this year's conference.

Support and networks for students

UCL Student Support & Wellbeing: Information for disabled students
Advocacy workshops for disabled students
Students’ Union UCL Disabled Students Network

Support and networks for staff

Inclusive education resources

More information, resources and links

UK Disability History Month
International Day of Persons with Disabilities
UCL Library Services: Book recommendations from Disability History Month 2023
Read our Staff Spotlight features on Staff Spotlight on DESG co-chair Indie Beedie, Pro-Provost (EDI) Alison Koslowski and Head of Inclusive Environments within Campus Experience and Infrastructure Pip Jackson.
Read Suzanna Chen’s article about experiences of being disabled at UCL
UCL supports the Sunflower Lanyard invisible disability scheme – see our dedicated webpage for more information and FAQs
Catch up on all the initiatives from UCL’s Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub)
UCL Library Services is committed to ensuring that students, staff and visitors can access their services and environment.
Tune in to the EDI Chronicles at Brain Sciences podcast; episode 3, 'Becoming disabled later in life' features an interview with Rikesh Rajani, a Senior Research Fellow and advocate on the Disability Equity Committee in the Faculty of Brain Sciences, who talks about his experience with Long COVID.

Image credit

Image by Chona Kasinger, courtesy of the Disabled and Here collection, a site providing free and inclusive stock images of disabled people.

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