Dear Jackie
Well said - BCODP are trying but most of us don't seem to make much
effort and when we do are we effective?
Best Wishes
Peter Bailey
70 Chaffers Mead
Ashtead
Surrey KT21 1NH
+44 (0)1372 275147 (T & F)
+44 (0) 7803 182656
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-----Original Message-----
From: The Disability-Research Discussion List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of J.M.Topp
Sent: 23 September 2003 09:17
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Disability Conference - Lancaster 4-6 Sept
Dear all
I am a disabled person and relatively new to disability studies
academia. I
attended the recent disability conference in Lancaster and afterwards
wrote,
via this website, congratulating the organisers. I anticipated a flurry
of
postings making comments, criticisms and congratulations but there has
been
very little. I wonder, why?
One of the biggest criticisms that I was aware of, expected comments on,
and
whole-heartedly agree with, was the obvious lack of inclusive facilities
for
those delegates with learning disabilities. I do not work within the
field
of learning disability but it was rather noticeable that although there
was
a palantypist and BSL interpreters for deaf people there was no
evidence of
any papers in plain english format for people with learning disabilities
and
no paper presentations by people with learning disabilities (apart from
one
poster presentation - by Manchester People First). I did note that
another
branch of People First had withdrawn their paper - why? It seems money,
or
the lack of it, prevented this group from attending!
To me this smacks of social oppression. Disability Studies should not
just
sit within the financially secure world of academia where delegates are
funded by their Universities and access is facilitated only to
physically-
or sensory-impaired delegates. There are a large contigent of people who
had
the right to attend and should have had the support to fully participate
in
this conference process. However they were essentially excluded due to
the
academic culture largely overlooking their specific needs.
The favoured definition of disability touted at the conference was one
of
social oppression, and some speakers went to great pains to maintain
that
disabled people's experiences are imperative for understanding
disability.
I have to ask, why were people with learning disabilites distinctly
oppressed by the Lancaster disability conference society?
Regards
Jackie Topp
PhD Student
The Open University
Milton Keynes
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