North-east branch of union to mark Disability History Month
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The Aberdeenshire branch of UNISON will mark Disability History Month and the International Day of People with Disabilities with an online event.
The union will also launch a booklet, Disability History: Fascinating Facts, penned by branch equalities officer, Kathleen Kennedy.
The branch has invited disabled trade unionists, activists and their allies to this event to be held on Thursday, December 3 from 4pm.
The theme, turning disability into ability, focuses on the achievements of disabled people. The Fascinating Facts booklet looks at disability over the past 200 years with a particular spotlight on the north-east of Scotland.
As well as the historical context it also includes features on prominent local disabled people who have achieved great things.
Kathleen Kennedy, who is chairing the event, said: “Disability History Month comes at a crucial time, given that people with disabilities have been disproportionately impacted by the Covid pandemic, with 56 per cent of Covid deaths having been people with disabilities.
“The Disability Discrimination Act is now 25 years old and questions remain as to why, in today’s society, there is still such extensive disability discrimination.
“Many famous people have disabilities. As singer and Scottish personality Susan Boyle has pointed out from her own experience.
“I am delighted this will be our second time celebrating an equality history event and I hope that the event and the booklet will go some way to highlight that the focus should be on ability and not disability.”
People can log on to the event at https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/197236589
