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Disabled
Paul Hunt, the Rosa Parks of the UK disability rights movement, talks about living in a disabling society.
Director: Vic Hughes
Overview
Paul Hunt was a true pioneer of UK disability rights. Along with other disabled people, he talks quietly about living in a disabling society and the lack of provision and accessibility for disabled people. This film shows the first signs of disabled people taking control of their lives, a precursor to the UK disability rights movement. The interviewees are all articulate and determined, and speak for themselves.
During the recording of this film (1967), Paul Hunt lived in Le Court residential home, run by the Leonard Cheshire charity. Along with fellow residents, he rebelled against the restrictive and controlling regime and planned to set up the first ever UK independent living programme, using social services cash to pay to employ his own carers so he could live in the community. Paul and others formed UPIAS, the Union of Physically Impaired Against Segregation (UPIAS) in 1972, which led to a widespread disability rights movement. UPIAS also developed the influential and radical idea now known as the Social Model of Disability.
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