A new book by historian David Turner offers a compelling and often overlooked perspective on the history of disability in the UK, arguing that rights and dignity have been actively fought for by disabled individuals and communities, rather than simply granted by society or government. Titled 'Disability', the work by Professor Turner of Swansea University, aims to reconcile the seemingly contradictory ideas that both little and everything has changed for disabled people since the modern age began.
Turner's central argument posits that while public and political attitudes towards disability have frequently been poor, disabled people have consistently challenged these perceptions and limitations. The book illustrates how significant progress has been 'wrested' from even the most unpromising circumstances, presenting a history defined by ingenuity, determination, and grit. This narrative contrasts with the idea of disabled people being passive recipients of either discrimination or assistance, instead highlighting their continuous resistance and struggle for improvement.
The sweeping historical perspective is grounded in a series of remarkable personal stories, many of which are not widely known. Readers are introduced to figures such as Duncan Campbell, an 18th-century aristocrat who gained fame as a deaf psychic, cleverly leveraging myths around his disability to boost his public profile. Another notable individual is May Billinghurst, dubbed the 'cripple suffragette', who famously used her hand-operated tricycle to break through police lines during acts of civil disobedience two centuries later. The book also highlights Megan du Boisson, a 1960s housewife who campaigned for the first disability benefits based solely on impairment, addressing a gap where existing schemes only covered those injured at work or in war.
These individuals, alongside many others featured in the book, shared a common refusal to accept not only the material limitations imposed on them by society but also the ingrained assumptions that accompanied them. Turner's work also sheds light on key moments and figures in the development of disability rights, such as Vic Finkelstein, an anti-apartheid activist who applied his experiences to articulate the social model of disability in the early 1970s. This framework proved instrumental in shaping future activism beyond demands for mere financial support.
The book also seeks to elevate figures like 18th-century MP William Hay, described by Turner as the first person to write about disability as a personal identity, and the punk couple Barbara Lisicki and Alan Holdsworth, who spearheaded the successful 1980s and 90s campaign for the UK’s first comprehensive disability rights law. By bringing these stories to a general audience, Turner hopes to accord these figures the recognition and voice they deserve, challenging the historical devaluing of disability activism and history.
Source: David Turner, Swansea University