Black History Month: Going Down a Rabbit Hole into Black Disability History

October is Black History Month in the UK, a time to celebrate the achievements and contributions of Black people, while also recognising the ongoing impact of racism and inequality. As a white disabled woman and occupational therapist, I have spent a lot of time learning about disability history, the Disabled People’s Movement and those who fought for the rights we have today. But this Black History Month, I found myself wondering how many Black disabled people who have helped shape history in the UK I could actually name.

Before going further, I should explain that I understand disability in its broadest sense. This includes people who identify as disabled, those with long-term health conditions that affect participation in everyday occupations, people experiencing mental health difficulties and neurodivergent people. Not everyone within these groups identifies as disabled, and I respect that. My understanding of disability has developed through my personal and professional experiences, recognising that health, impairment and the barriers people encounter can change throughout their lives. As an occupational therapist, I am particularly interested in how these experiences, alongside social and environmental barriers, influence opportunities for participation.

Of course, there were Black people whose work I already knew about. Kimberlé Crenshaw, the American legal scholar who introduced the concept of intersectionality in 1989, has significantly influenced my understanding of how different forms of discrimination interact. Although her work was not originally about disability, it provides an important framework for understanding the intersection of racism and ableism. I also knew of Ade Adepitan, the Black British disabled Paralympian and broadcaster, whose achievements in wheelchair basketball and television have challenged perceptions of disabled people. Then there was Mary Seacole, whose contribution to nursing during the Crimean War is well documented. She experienced periods of significant illness, although I would not presume to describe her as someone who identified as disabled.

But when I thought specifically about Black disabled people who had shaped disability rights and challenged ableism in the UK, I realised how few names I could recall. Much of the disability history I had learnt centred on white activists. That does not mean Black disabled people were absent from these movements, but it made me question whose contributions had been recognised and whose stories had been overlooked.

So, in typical fashion, I went down a rabbit hole reading about Black disabled people who have made history. Here are some of the people I discovered.

Nasa Begum: Challenging exclusion in disability services

Nasa Begum (1963–2011) was a British disabled activist, researcher and social care policy adviser of Pakistani heritage. Her work explored the experiences of disabled people from Black and Asian communities, particularly women, and challenged racism, ableism and sexism within health and social care.

During the 1990s, Nasa contributed to publications including Something to Be Proud Of (1992) and Beyond Samosas and Reggae (1995), challenging services to recognise the diversity of disabled people’s experiences and involve them meaningfully in decisions. What struck me was how relevant her work remains. More than 30 years later, we are still having conversations about representation, intersectionality and whose voices influence health and social care.

Milliedrette Hill: Challenging racism within disability activism

Milliedrette Hill, also known as Millie Hill, is a Black disabled activist and writer who challenged racism within disability services and the Disabled People’s Movement. Originally from Bermuda, she became involved in disability activism at a young age and later contributed to disability rights campaigning in Britain.

In 1990, she co-founded the Black Disabled People’s Association and contributed to Reflections: The Views of Black Disabled People on Their Lives and Community Care (1994). Her work challenged the exclusion of Black disabled people from disability organisations and policy discussions. It is an important reminder that movements campaigning against discrimination are not automatically free from discrimination themselves.

Michelle Daley: Challenging exclusion in education

Michelle Daley is a Black disabled activist and Director of the Alliance for Inclusive Education (ALLFIE). She has spent more than 20 years campaigning for disability justice and the right of disabled children and young people to inclusive education.

Her work challenges the segregation of disabled children and recognises how racism, ableism and sexism intersect. From an occupational therapy perspective, this is particularly important because education is about much more than academic achievement. It is about belonging, relationships, identity and opportunities to participate in the occupations of childhood.

Marsha de Cordova: Disability rights in Parliament

Marsha de Cordova is the Labour MP for Battersea and a Black disabled woman who is registered blind. Since her election in 2017, she has advocated for disability rights, equality and accessibility, including challenging barriers within Parliament itself.

Her work reminds us of the importance of disabled people being represented in positions of power. Too often, disabled people are discussed as those affected by political decisions rather than recognised as people making and influencing those decisions.

What did I learn?

What struck me most was that Black disabled people have been challenging racism, ableism and exclusion for decades, yet their contributions are not always recognised within mainstream disability history. Nasa Begum and Milliedrette Hill were raising issues around intersectionality and representation long before these conversations became more prominent within health and social care.

It also made me reflect on my own position. I experience ableism, but I am also white and benefit from the privileges associated with that. My lived experience of disability does not mean I understand what it is like to experience racism. Nor does experiencing one form of discrimination mean I cannot contribute to another. I have a responsibility to listen, learn, recognise my own biases and challenge racism within the spaces I am part of, including disability spaces.

What does this mean for occupational therapy?

As occupational therapists, we recognise that participation is influenced by social, cultural, political and environmental factors. Racism and ableism can restrict opportunities to engage in education, employment, relationships, leisure and everyday life. These are issues of occupational justice, not simply individual difficulties to be addressed through assessment or intervention.

We also need to reflect on our own profession. Whose voices shape our theories, research and education? Whose experiences are represented in our services? And when we talk about inclusion and occupational justice, are we genuinely considering the intersection of racism and ableism?

Understanding disability does not automatically mean understanding the experiences of all disabled people. We need to recognise the limits of our own knowledge, value different perspectives and ensure that people experiencing intersecting inequalities have meaningful opportunities to influence the decisions that affect them.

Black history is disability history, too

I started this rabbit hole, realising how much I did not know. I have finished it, having learnt about some remarkable people, but also recognising how much more there is to learn. Black disabled people have made, and continue to make, significant contributions to disability rights, education, politics and society. Their achievements deserve recognition throughout the year, not just during Black History Month.

Perhaps my challenge to others is to reflect on whose stories are missing from their understanding of disability history. Whose voices are absent from the organisations and professions they belong to? And what could they do differently to ensure those voices are heard and valued?

If we are serious about disability rights and occupational justice, we must recognise that challenging ableism cannot be separated from challenging racism. Black history is disability history, too.

Exploring the Art of Occupation