Human Rights, Equality and CampaigningHuman Rights, Equality and Campaigning
Disabled Peoples’ Organisations (DPOs) grew from a social movement of disabled people who articulated a social model of disability. This repositioned disability as discrimination by claiming people are disabled by the barriers they face, not as a result of their impairments (the diversity of your body and / or mind). Campaigning is an essential part of what DPOs do. DPOs call for the equality, inclusion and human rights of disabled people to be realized. They assert ‘rights, not charity’, and demand ‘nothing about us without us’, so that disabled people have choice and control over their lives and their voices and expereinces are heard and understood.
This section contains the following films
Resources
The Social Model
See a description of the Social Model on Wikipedia.
Disabled Peoples Organisations; History and Culture - developed by Disability LIB part of the DIAL UK training manual for DPOs to induct, volunteers, staff and others. Includes information about both a distant and more recent ‘radical’ history of disabled people and the social model of disablility.
- HANDOUT - Disabled Peoples Organisations History and Culture
- TRAINERS NOTES - Disabled Peoples Organisations History and Culture
The Social Model of Disability - Produced by Scotish Accessible Information Forum. Describes the social and medical model, gives definitions of disability and impairment and has useful advice on how to make information and services accessible.
Disability Arts
Disability Arts Online - Online journal with reviews, interviews, profiles, blogs, listings and reference resources documenting the history and development of disability arts
Chronology of Disability Arts 1977 - 2003 published by Edward Lear Foundation
What is Disability Arts? Article by Allan Sutherland .
Human Rights
STOP THE WORLD - WE WANT TO GET ON! - Human rights toolkit based on DAA's previous wide experience and the outcomes of intensive trainings. It includes practical uses of our human rights, examples of real cases both in Europe and the
Disability Rights Watch UK - led by the UK Disabled People’s Council (UKDPC), with support from Disability LIB and Scope and is looking for a wide range personal stories and experiences from lots of different disabled people. Listen to the podcast or read the transcript produced by Disability LIB to learn more about Disability Rights Watch UK and how disabled people can get involved.
British Institute of Human Rights – videos and guides about the Human Rights Act.
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities CRPD - see United Nations Enable, Office for Disability Issues and Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Equality Act train the trainer toolkit 
In October 2010, the Equality Act replaced existing equality laws with a single act. The Act strengthened the law and simplified it by removing inconsistencies, although it is currently under review and amendments (Aug 2011). We provided a number of Equality Act training sessions for DPOs on the implications for disabled people. We produced a DPO Equality Act train the trainer toolkit and ran five workshops with 40 DPOs. The purpose of this toolkit is to provide Disabled People’s Organisations, who are already delivering training, with a set of materials for use in delivering Equality Act training. Besides the materials in this toolkit, there is a section containing links to further resources. The toolkit is avaliable in text and audio versions and can be downloaded here (page link).
Campaigns
Campaign in Action - produced by Alliance for inclusive education celebrates some of the historic victories won by disabled people standing up for equality and inclusion. The guide gives example of how DPOs campaigned around different issues and also introduces campaign tactics and includes information about current campaigns.
E-campaigning - toolkit to help DPOs reach a wider audience using the internet and social media.
DAA's campaigns toolkit - focuses on campaigns organised by disabled people which promote our independence, equality of opportunity and full participation. Taking part in campaigns will increase members' confidence and independence and show disabled people as active community members.
Disabled People against Cuts - DPAC is about disabled people and their allies. DPAC is UK based but we know that disabled people in other countries are suffering from austerity cuts and a lack of fundamental rights. We welcome all to join us in fighting for justice and human rights for all disabled people.
We Know Inclusion Works - The 'We Know Inclusion Works' campaign, run by the Alliance for Inclusive Education, was launched in response to media hype about how ’damaging’inclusion is for disabled children and young people.
The Resistance Campaign - The Resistance Campaign, run by Not Dead Yet UK, seeks to encourage MPs (and others in positions of influence) to focus on enabling disabled and terminally people to live more comfortable, rewarding lives, rather than end them prematurely.
NCVO's Influencing and Campaigning Resources - range of resources to support you influencing policy and campaigning for change.