Labour and Livelihoods of Disabled People in Britain, c. 1970-2015

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This study will examine the connections between lived experiences of disability and employment practices in modernBritain, framed by the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 and the Children and Families Act 2014. Whilstthe 1970 Act upheld commitments from the Disabled Persons Act 1944, the 2014 Act presented a new policy focustowards post-16 institutions, pathways to employment and independence. My research will use archives, documentaryresearch and oral history to reconstruct the workplace experiences of both disabled people and colleagues. Livedexperiences will provide critiques of public policy, for example the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and Equality Act2010, and challenge prevailing success narratives around anti-discrimination legislation. Focusing on primary sourcesfrom the Association for Disabled Professionals and other disability networks, my project will investigate the culturalmechanisms through which disabled people express, understand, and engage with disability issues within their socialand professional lives. My research will also utilise oral history and consider methodological advancements to make thispractice more inclusive for Hard of Hearing/Deaf participants. Overall, this work encourages a move beyond the historybased on legislation to assess how people responded, experienced new legislation, and participated in political activism.