Historicising the Social Model of Disability

Beckie Rutherford will present research based on her PhD examining the history of the social model of disability, using three case studies of disabled women’s groups to highlight how it has been deployed:

• Gemma (a support group for disabled lesbians)
• Sisters Against Disablement (a collective of disabled women and non-disabled allies)
• Liberation Network of People with Disabilities (a national network open to disabled people of all genders predominantly consisting of disabled women)

Each of these demonstrates that disabled women engaged with the social model in diverse and sometimes contradictory ways. Their stories offer keen insight into how the social model gained traction within different communities and how disabled women negotiated it in relation to their everyday lives. Understanding this history is crucial to informing present-day debates about the ongoing usefulness of the social model.

Join the event via the zoom link: https://lshtm.zoom.us/j/98161612698