Back in the 1980s there were no laws to protect disabled people from discrimination. But the efforts of disabled activists in Bristol were not in vain and thanks to their campaigning, the local council in Bristol was one of the first to adopt disability equality policies.
While people with disabilities continue to face discrimination, 40 years ago there were no laws to protect them. In 1983 the Conservative government had no plans to put any in place and voted against a bill to protect their rights.
Bristol’s disability campaigners were part of a national movement whose efforts paved the way for ramps and lifts being installed in public buildings, accessible public transport and toilets, alongside the laws we see today making it illegal to discriminate against those with disabilities. The former Avon County Council was one of the first in the country to introduce direct payment schemes for disabled people and Bristol was one of the first cities to rule that all its Hackney licensed taxis must be wheelchair accessible.
But these local achievements were in no way coincidental, rather the result of years of campaigning from disabled people themselves, both locally and nationally. The history of disability activism in Bristol is now being told for the very first time thanks to Bristol Disability Equality Forum’s Forging Our Future project.
The Forging our Future project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, tells the story of the disabled people’s movement in Bristol from the 1980s to 2010. Bristol was a central place for disability activism during this period and the social model of disability became widely used here long before it did in many other cities.
On the online learning resource which documents their history, the details of the project and the history of Bristol’s disability activism is outlined: “A group of young disabled people volunteered with the forum gathering the stories of disabled activists who campaigned for equality and independent living and worked to see the social model implemented in Bristol’s services.
“To support them in doing this, they had training in research and oral history interviewing skills, and then they interviewed 15 people who had played key roles in the disabled people’s movement in Bristol.
“The activists’ stories have been edited into stories that convey the work they did, the struggles they had, and the achievements and successes that have changed attitudes, provision and the built environment in Bristol – and beyond. We have used these stories to inform digital learning activities aimed at secondary school and beyond and for the Disability Activism Bristol: A History website.”
The project has been fortunate to also work in partnership with Bristol Culture who have supported the project from the beginning, and developed a display in the ‘We Make Bristol’ gallery at Bristol’s M Shed which also tells the story of Disability Activism Bristol.