Last night (Shaw Theatre, London) renowned former editor of the Times newspaper, Sir Harold Evans delivered a timely lecture on the legacy of disability campaigner Alf Morris, whose work included bringing the ‘Chronically Sick & Disabled Persons Act’ through Parliament in 1970 that paved the way for further legislation and the Equality Act (2010).
Sir Harold was a friend of Alf Morris since their shared school days in Manchester and they had fought for equality and disability issues from their respective perches in Fleet Street and Parliament – Morris as the first Minister for Disabled People and Evans who took on the drug companies responsible for the manufacture of Thalidomide in order to obtain justice for the Thalidomide survivors.
Pointing to Morris’s legacy, Evans said that “Alf was on the ground floor at the start of the Disabled Living Foundation (DLF)… And recognised the importance of the everyday” suggesting that as a result of his efforts and the Act that every ramp and accessible entrance could be traced back to him.
Although the subject matter was serious, Evans took on a light tone, especially when remembering his friend, saying: “I wish he’d been more vicious sometimes – would’ve made for more news”
The work of Alf Morris revolutionised the way that disabled people are viewed in the UK (and across the world) not least through the tweaking of attitudes and use of more positive and pro-active language by which we come to have today’s ‘social model of disability’ which puts the person first (rather than their challenges). Evans in fact, mentioned several times that people should not be defined by their disability and that we need to approach support by thinking about “rights rather than benefits”.
The Alf Morris lecture is likely to become an annual event to support the work of the Disabled Living Foundation. As the inaugural lecture, this was an opportunity to take stock and consolidate ideas surrounding how disabled people are treated. Evans challenged the audience and people involved with disability to “not take things lying down” which is likely to be advice worth remembering, especially during the General Election campaign.