Disablement Income Group

Last updated

The Disablement Income Group (DIG) was a British disability pressure group formed in 1965 in Godalming, Surrey. It is considered to be one of the first pan-impairment pressure groups in Britain, and was created to campaign for the introduction of a full disability income through the social security system for all disabled people. [1]

Contents

According to the Charity Commission, The Disablement Income Group had ceased to exist as a charity by 2 April 2003. [2]

History

DIG was founded in 1965 by two "housewives" as known at the time, [3] when Megan du Boisson and Berit Moore wrote a letter to The Guardian newspaper on 22 March 1965. [4] Margaret Blackwood formed a similar group in Scotland in 1966. [5] At the time, social security payments to disabled people depended on the previous cause of impairment. People injured in war or in the workplace were entitled to significantly more support than the "civilian" disabled. DIG's campaigns brought the poverty of disabled people, and especially disabled women, to the attention of the general public. This campaign and other events such as the thalidomide scandal led to the creation of a series of new social security benefits in the 1970s. These included benefits for women who had not been in paid work and other carers who had previously been excluded from benefit. [6]

In 1988 DIG was appointed by government to help administer the Independent Living Fund. [7]

DIG is significant as it was formed by disabled people, and key leaders such as Du Boisson, Mary Greaves and Peter Large were themselves disabled. For this reason, many consider DIG to represent one of the key organisations in the beginnings of the modern disability movement in the United Kingdom. [8] [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disability</span> Impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions

Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, sensory, or a combination of multiple factors. Disabilities can be present from birth or can be acquired during a person's lifetime. Historically, disabilities have only been recognized based on a narrow set of criteria—however, disabilities are not binary and can be present in unique characteristics depending on the individual. A disability may be readily visible, or invisible in nature.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a means-tested program that provides cash payments to disabled children, disabled adults, and individuals aged 65 or older who are citizens or nationals of the United States. SSI was created by the Social Security Amendments of 1972 and is incorporated in Title 16 of the Social Security Act. The program is administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and began operations in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Welfare</span> Means-oriented social benefit

Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifically to social insurance programs which provide support only to those who have previously contributed, as opposed to social assistance programs which provide support on the basis of need alone. The International Labour Organization defines social security as covering support for those in old age, support for the maintenance of children, medical treatment, parental and sick leave, unemployment and disability benefits, and support for sufferers of occupational injury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Department for Work and Pensions</span> Ministerial department of the UK Government

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is a United Kingdom government department of His Majesty's Government responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy. As the UK's biggest public service department it administers the State Pension and a range of working age, disability and ill health benefits to around 20 million claimants and customers. It is the second largest governmental department in terms of employees, and the largest in terms of expenditure (£187bn).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Social model of disability</span> Societal failure to adapt to disabilities

The social model of disability identifies systemic barriers, derogatory attitudes, and social exclusion, which make it difficult or impossible for disabled people to attain their valued functionings. The social model of disability diverges from the dominant medical model of disability, which is a functional analysis of the body as a machine to be fixed in order to conform with normative values. While physical, sensory, intellectual, or psychological variations may result in individual functional differences, these do not necessarily have to lead to disability unless society fails to take account of and include people intentionally with respect to their individual needs. The origin of the approach can be traced to the 1960s, and the specific term emerged from the United Kingdom in the 1980s.

People with disabilities in the United States are a significant minority group, making up a fifth of the overall population and over half of Americans older than eighty. There is a complex history underlying the U.S. and its relationship with its disabled population, with great progress being made in the last century to improve the livelihood of disabled citizens through legislation providing protections and benefits. Most notably, the Americans with Disabilities Act is a comprehensive anti-discrimination policy that works to protect Americans with disabilities in public settings and the workplace.

Social Security Disability Insurance is a payroll tax-funded federal insurance program of the United States government. It is managed by the Social Security Administration and designed to provide monthly benefits to people who have a medically determinable disability that restricts their ability to be employed. SSDI does not provide partial or temporary benefits but rather pays only full benefits and only pays benefits in cases in which the disability is "expected to last at least one year or result in death." Relative to disability programs in other countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the SSDI program in the United States has strict requirements regarding eligibility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Social programs in Canada</span> Overview of social programs in Canada

Social programs in Canada include all Canadian government programs designed to give assistance to citizens outside of what the market provides. The Canadian social safety net includes a broad spectrum of programs, many of which are run by the provinces and territories. Canada also has a wide range of government transfer payments to individuals, which totaled $176.6 billion in 2009—this cost only includes social programs that administer funds to individuals; programs such as medicare and public education are additional costs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leonard Cheshire Disability</span> British charitable organization

Leonard Cheshire is a major health and welfare charity working in the United Kingdom and running development projects around the world. It was founded in 1948 by Royal Air Force officer Group Captain Leonard Cheshire VC.

Disability benefits are funds provided from public or private sources to a person who is ill or who has a disability.

The Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation (UPIAS) was an early disability rights organisation in the United Kingdom. It established the principles that led to the development of the social model of disability, wherein a sharp distinction is made between impairment and disability. From the organisation's policy statement: "What we are interested in, are ways of changing our conditions of life, and thus overcoming the disabilities which are imposed on top our physical impairments by the way this society is organised to exclude us."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disabled People Against Cuts</span>

Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) is an organisation based in the United Kingdom for disabled people and allies to campaign against the impact of government spending cuts on the lives of disabled people. Formed on 3 October 2010 DPAC promotes full human rights and equality for all disabled people, and operates from the Social Model of Disability.

Disability in the United Kingdom covers a wide range of conditions and experiences, deeply impacting the lives of millions of people. Defined by the Equality Act 2010 as a physical or mental impairment with a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities, it encompasses various aspects of life, including demographics, legislation, healthcare, employment, and culture. Despite numerous advancements in policy and social attitudes, individuals with disabilities often encounter unique challenges and disparities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margaret Blackwood (activist)</span> Scottish activist

Margaret Blackwood became Margaret McGrath MBE was a Scottish activist and founder of Disablement Income Group Scotland.

The National Centre for Independent Living (NCIL) was a non-profit staffed organisation controlled by and run for disabled people active in social care issues to campaign for and support the independent living of disabled people in the community and using personal assistants, as opposed to living in institutions such as care homes and hospitals. It ceased its work in December 2011.

The British Council of Organisations of Disabled People (BCODP) was a radical national voice of disabled people for legal, social and cultural change in Britain from 1981 to 2017, with a high profile in the 1980s and 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Hunt (activist)</span> UK disability rights activist (1937–1979)

Paul Hunt was an early disability rights activist and leader of disabled people's campaigns in the UK against residential institutions and for independent living. He was born on 9 March 1937 in Angmering, Sussex, with an impairment and he died aged 42 years in London, on 12 July 1979. His work and political influence is now cited in academic and political writings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Greaves</span>

Mary Greaves was a British civil servant and disability rights campaigner, who was instrumental in helping to pass the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970. Following the death of its founder Megan du Boisson in 1969, Greaves became head of the Disablement Income Group.

Berit Stueland became Berit Moore later Berit Thornberry was a Norwegian born activist for sex education and disability rights. She translated a copy of The Little Red Schoolbook into English which was declared obscene and with Megan du Boisson she founded the Disablement Income Group

Megan du Boisson was a British campaigner for disability rights, and founder of the Disablement Income Group. On her unexpected death in 1969, The Times wrote that "it was her doing, more than that of any other single individual, that public opinion is now so much more alive to the needs of the disabled."

References

  1. ↑ Disablement Income Group (1972). Creating a National Disability Income. Disablement Income Group. ISBN   090419101X.
  2. ↑ Charity Commission. "290744 - THE DISABLEMENT INCOME GROUP". Charity Commission. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  3. ↑ Kinrade, Derek (2007). Alf Morris: People's Parliamentarian. National Information Forum. pp. 139–144. ISBN   0955751500.
  4. ↑ Maggie Davis & Ken Davis (2009). TO AND FROM GROVE ROAD - Independent living, disabled people, social care, activists fighting segregation and abuse. TBR Imprint. pp. 30–31. ISBN   9781913148089.
  5. ↑ "Margaret Blackwood". wealothianwomensforum.org.uk. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  6. ↑ Hampton, Jameel. "Disability and Social Policy: The Experience of the British Welfare State". Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, YouTube. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  7. ↑ "HC Deb 15 March 1993 vol 221 cc36-117" . Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  8. ↑ Jane Campbell, Mike Oliver (1996). Disability Politics: Understanding Our Past, Changing Our Future. Routledge. pp. 19–23. ISBN   0415079985.
  9. ↑ Gareth Millward. "Disability and Voluntarism in British Policy Making". Voluntary Action History Society. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.