Transcript
MAN
1972, the Union of Physically Impaired Against Segregation was formed by Paul Hunt, a disabled man who had developed his ideas whilst living in an institution. He and others had been struggling with the authorities of the rights of disabled people to control their own lives. UPIAS are recognised as the initial seed which began the social model of disability when in 1975, they stated--
NARRATOR
"In our view, it is society which disables physically impaired people. Disability is something imposed on top of our impairments by the way we are unnecessarily isolated and excluded from full participation in society."
[MUSIC PLAYING]
MAN
These new ideas were empowering and challenging to the existing medical model. The social model encouraged disabled people to speak up for themselves and campaign for greater inclusion and equal rights. In America at this time, the People First self-advocacy movement was growing stronger. And in 1984, they held an international conference, bringing together advocates from around the world. Attending the conference was a young impassioned Englishman who was ready to bring these new ideas of self-advocacy back to the UK.
GARY BOURLET
It was the first ever People First international conference. And that was in Washington State. And I was astounded by how much confidence people with learning disabilities could speak publicly. And I wanted to be like them. That's what I wanted to do.
And I brought the idea of setting up a People First back in London. Writing over 400 letters, handwritten, four pages long, spending my own postage money out of my own benefits, and instead of actually putting my name signing off-- because I wasn't so confident to sign it off, I put John Hersov's name on there instead.
JOHN HERSOV
A group of us went from London and Essex to America in 1984 to this conference. We were brought together by the campaign for mentally handicapped people and Mencap. People from the Mencap participation forum, including Gary Bourlet, who's remained a fervent self advocate all these years.
GARY BOURLET
It was very tough times as well because even the parents and carers were sort of not happy about-- I think they were sceptical, afraid, that sons and daughters were silent and now they can actually speak for themselves.
JOHN HERSOV
It was still quite a novel idea, a new idea. So the fact for people themselves to be able to talk with confidence about what was important to them, for a lot of people, was quite hard.
GARY BOURLET
And then they were saying, ‘John, your group is special. Ours never could do that.’ It was all that sort of thing going on.
JOHN HERSOV
And if we don't ask them and involve them in whatever we are working on or doing, not only are we going to be missing a very big trick, but we will fall into the trap of doing to, and for, and whatever other people without finding out what's important to them.