The BBC is marking a quarter century since the Disability Discrimination Act was passed with a series of themed programming, including drama, discussion, documentary and news items.
However, the programmes should not be seen entirely as a celebration of the DDA and further legislation, as it is agreed by many of the participants that work still needs to be done to try and ensure equality for disabled people.
Among the shows has been a series called Crip Tales, six dramatic monologues. Written, directed and performed by disabled people and curated by Matt Fraser. Although fictional, the monologues were based on people’s real life experiences. They have already been shown on BBC4 but are now available on iplayer.
There have also been items on news broadcasts including one on The disabled activists who brought London to a halt (with an accompanying article) in which they say that progress has been made in some ways since the act was passed but more needs to be done.
Former Disability Sheffield staff member turned beauty blogger and social media influencer Tess Daly was also featured on BBC1’s 6 O’Clock and 10 O’Clock News talking about her experiences.
The Disability News Service has published an article describing the season, and you can also get further details from the BBC website.
Charlotte Moore, Chief Content Officer at the BBC, says: “The BBC has boosted its commitment to representing disabled people on and off screen and we are using the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Disability Discrimination Act as an opportunity to put disabled talent front and centre this November. Our content now and into 2021 will be exploring the significance and impact of the Act as well as showcasing the creativity of disabled actors, presenters, producers, directors and writers. I hope that enabling disabled people to tell their often unexpected and surprising stories will challenge stereotypes and make us all think about the world we want to live in.”
