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Disability History Month

UK Disability History Month 2024

Here you can find details of all the events, activities and initiatives taking place as part of UK Disability History Month 2024 at Queen Mary.

Many of the events taking place as part of UK Disability History Month 2024 are open to both our staff and students, so please take a look and join us!

The programme will be updated throughout the month, as more events are confirmed, so please check back regularly to keep up to date.

If you are running an event that isn't listed here, we'd love to be able to support and to maximise the reach and impact of your activity! Please email hr-equality@qmul.ac.uk with the details so that we can include it.

UK Disability History Month flag raising event

[Image description: a “Straight Diagonal” version of the Disability Pride Flag: A muted black flag with a diagonal band from  the top left to bottom right corner, made up of five parallel stripes in  red, gold, white, blue, and green Description ends]Date: Thursday 14 November

Time: 1.00pm - 1.30pm

Location: Outside the Queens' Building, Mile End

You are warmly invited to a flag raising ceremony marking the beginning of UK Disability History Month. The Disability Pride flag will be flown as a visible symbol of Queen Mary’s commitment to championing our disabled community. 

The Disability Pride flag was first created by in 2019 by Ann Magill, who later redesigned it in 2021. This was to make the flag more accessible in a number of ways, including by avoiding any strobe or flicker effects when viewing the flag on a screen and scrolling. Revised, more muted colours were also used and rearranged to reduce eye strain, with each stripe given a different level of brightness, so that they can be more easily distinguishable by people with colour blindness.

The flag's symbolism (based upon the original description by its creator) is:

  • Having All Six "Standard" Flag Colors: signifying that the Disability Community is pan-national, spanning borders between states and nations
  • The Black Field: Mourning and rage for victims of ableist violence and abuse
  • The Diagonal Band: "Cutting across" the walls and barriers that separate disabled people from society; also light and creativity cutting through the darkness
  • The White Stripe: Invisible and Undiagnosed Disabilities
  • The Red Stripe: Physical Disabilities
  • The Gold Stripe: Neurodivergence
  • The Blue Stripe: Mental Health Disabilities
  • The Green Stripe: Sensory Disabilities

UK Disability History Month Pop-up stands around our campuses

Have a chat with colleagues and members of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Team to find out more about the work taking place to progress Disability Inclusion at Queen Mary. Pop-ups are being scheduled throughout the month and at various locations across the university.

Mile End Library Pop-up

Date: Tuesday 3 December

Time: 11.00am-1.00pm

Location: Mile End Library Foyer

UK Disability History Month Book Display at Mile End Library

Library Services celebrate literature focusing on disability in all its forms throughout the year and UK Disability History Month is no exception. 

Throughout the month a selection of books will be on display and the Library Services Team will also be adding new titles to their collection, including both e-books and physical copies. Pop in to take a look and also visit our Media Recommendations to access a full reading list, especially curated for the month.

Workshop: Developing Inclusive Education for Neurodivergent Learners

Date: Wednesday 27 November 

Time: 12.00pm-1.30pm

Location: Hybrid: MS Teams OR GC202 - Book your place

How can we design education inclusively? How can educators better support neurodivergent learners?

In this interactive workshop we will discuss barriers that learners who learn differently face and we offer strategies and tools that can support educators being more inclusive in the design and delivery of their teaching. By the end of the session, you will have considered which changes you can implement in your practice and how you can build resources in your own context.

Please note that before attending this workshop you have to take the online module: Introduction to neurodiversity.

After completing this workshop, you will be better able to:

  1. Address the barriers for neurodivergent learners in the classroom; 
  2. Reflect on inclusive practice in the design, delivery, and assessment of your modules; 
  3. Apply strategies and tools to support neurodivergent learners

Developing Professional Services Lunch & Learn - Digital Accessibility

Date: Thursday 5 December

Time: 12.30pm-1.30pm

Location: Virtual Teams Event - Sign up to attend

Creating inclusive content isn’t just important—it’s essential.  In this session, we’ll dive into practical strategies to ensure your digital content is accessible to everyone. Come along to learn more about digital accessibility principles, and some practical tips you can use in your day-to-day work.

Inclusion Passports workshops

Two upcoming workshops will focus on Inclusion Passports as a tool in obtaining and maintaining workplace adjustments. The sessions are open to any Queen Mary member of staff who is interested in contributing however we would especially like to hear from staff who identify as disabled, or who have a long-term mental or physical health condition or impairment. Please be assured that you will not be asked to disclose any disability or health condition as part of the workshop.

There will be the option to attend either online via MS Teams or in-person at Dept W.

The two dates are: Thursday 5 December, 10.30am-11.30am or Tuesday 10 December, 2.30pm-3.30pm.

Please complete this form to reserve your place. Registration will end 5.00pm the day before each session.

Lunch and Learn: The History of UK Disability Legislation

The UK Disability History Month logo comprising of a black triangle with a yellow circle inside it. Text within the circle reads Date: Tuesday 10 December

Time: 12.00pm-1.00pm

Location: Online, via MS Teams. Register to attend.

Join Eleanor McDavis (EDI Manager) who will present this informative Lunch and Learn on the history of disability legislation in the UK.

Disability representation and me - a UKDHM talk with Professor Chloe Orkin, MBE

Photograph of Chloe OrkinDate: Monday 16 December

Time: 12.30pm - 1.30pm

Location: This talk took place online, via MS Teams.

Description: Chloe will discuss intersectionality, leadership, the importance of representation and how she has learned to embrace her hidden disability as part of her identity.

Bio: Chloe is Professor of Infection and Inequities, Director of the SHARE Research Collaborative for Health Equity and Dean for Healthcare Transformation at Queen Mary University of London. Her clinical practice is at Barts Health NHS Trust. She was awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire for service to the National Health Service. She focuses on long-acting HIV treatment, mpox and equitable inclusion in research. Leadership roles: Clinical Advisor to WHO Europe for Mpox (2022-23), Chair of the British HIV Association (2016-19), Medical Women's Federation President (2021-23), IAS Governing Council (2020-24).

Postponed: Staff Disability Network - Invited speaker event

The UK Disability History Month logo comprising of a black triangle with a yellow circle inside it. Text within the circle reads Date: TBC

Time: TBC

Location: TBC

Join the Co-Chairs of the Queen Mary Staff Disability Network as they welcome a guest speaker, for this special event. This event has been postponed until the new year, so keep a look out for more information and to book your place in 2025!

Staff Disability Network - Tea & Talk

The UK Disability History Month logo comprising of a black triangle with a yellow circle inside it. Text within the circle reads Date: Wednesday 18 December

Time: 3.00pm-4.00pm

Location: Online via MS Teams. Please see the Staff Disability Network Team for more info and for the link to join.

Members of the Queen Mary Staff Disability Network will meet with the Co-Chairs of the network, for an informal Tea & Talk session. Staff can find out more information about joining the network on the Staff Networks Page

Disability Inclusion at Queen Mary: using Process and Service Improvement as a tool for progression

As part of the recent Queen Mary Professional Services Conference 2024, Eleanor McDavis (EDI Manager) presented an overview of Disability Inclusion work at Queen Mary.

The presentation highlighted how the Process and Service Improvement Project is being used as a framework for reviewing and enhancing our practices related to disabled staff obtaining reasonable workplace adjustment. 

Queen Mary Staff can watch the pre-recording of this session.

Carer’s Rights Day - Thursday 21 November 2024

An image showing the Carers Rights Day logo which is a red circle containing a white megaphone illustration and the words 'Carers Rights Day'UKDHM coincides with Carer’s Rights Day that is taking place on Thursday 21 November and is organised by Carers UK. Also referred to as caregivers, carers are individuals who provide unpaid care and support to family members, friends, or neighbours wo have a physical or mental illness, disability, or frailty. In the UK alone, approximately 6.5 million people fulfil the role of caregivers, making a significant impact on the lives of those they care for and society as a whole.

Many disabled people are themselves carers for others, with 27% of carers who completed Carers UK’s ‘State of Caring’ survey in 2022 saying they had a disability

Carers Rights Day shines a light on the invaluable work undertaken by carers throughout the UK and is an opportunity to help to ensure they receive the recognition, support, and resources they deserve. The theme for 2024 is 'Recognising your rights'.

At Queen Mary the Parents and Carers Network aims to support the working lives of employees with caring responsibilities. 

Recordings from UKDHM 2023:

Lunch and Learn: Hidden Disabilities and Chronic Illness

The UK Disability History Month logo comprising of a black triangle with a yellow circle inside it. Text within the circle reads

This event took place as part of UKDHM 2023. You can watch the recording.

As part of UK Disability History Month, Alex Prestage (Head of EDI , Queen Mary University of London) presented this Lunch and Learn discussing hidden disabilities and chronic illness.

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