UK Disability History Month (UKDHM) is an annual event observed each November-December, which focusses on the history of disabled people and the struggle for equality.
It is an opportunity to celebrate disabled people’s achievements and contributions to society and the progress that has been made towards becoming a more inclusive society. However, it also stands as a reminder of the inequalities and difficulties that continue to be experienced by disabled and neurodivergent individuals in the UK and throughout the world.
The theme of this year’s event is Disability Livelihood and Employment. When considering this theme, it is important to acknowledge that 24% of the working-age population of the UK (between the ages of 16 to 64) are disabled (Powell, 2024). The rate of employment for non-disabled individuals is approximately 82%, but this drops to just 54% for disabled individuals.
Barriers to work that disabled people face go far beyond a lack of adjustments directly relating to their condition. Bullying, sexual harassment and discrimination, as well as limited progression opportunities and a lack of support are all frequently cited as contributing to disabled people leaving or taking time away from their jobs. The disability charity, Scope (2024) state that “disabled people are nearly twice as likely to leave their jobs as non-disabled people” with around 9% of disabled people compared to just 5% of non-disabled people falling out of work.
Arden Library and the wider Learning Success Hub team strive to avoid a ‘one-size-fits-all’ attitude and we work hard to make our collections and services as inclusive and accessible as possible.
Our Accessibility Tools page provides guidance on how to adapt our collections to best suit your unique reading and learning needs. We have also put together a Disability and Neurodiversity Collection of books, journals, and other resources. These include titles that focus on access and inclusion, disability studies and activism, and guides on academic ableism and how to move beyond an ableist approach to education.
We would like your help to continue to grow and develop this collection of resources. If you would like to suggest an eBook that you would like us to add to the collection, please Request an eBook
References:
- Powell, A., (2024). Disabled people in employment [online]. Commons Library Research Briefing, 18 March 2024. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7540/
- Scope, (2024). Disabled employee retention [online]. https://www.scope.org.uk/campaigns/research-policy/employee-retention
