From a Disability respective: UK radical Disabled People writings on disability issues in the mid-1970's, originally compiled by Keith Armstrong (first published in 1976 in Peace News) with a new introduction by Keith Armstrong.

1. From a Disability respective: UK radical Disabled People writings on
disability issues in the mid-1970's, originally compiled by Keith Armstrong
(first published in 1976 in Peace News)
with a new introduction by Keith Armstrong.
Authors: Trevor Thomas, Charlotte Baggins, Pat Carr, Kevin McGrath
and Keith Armstrong.
Contents
Crippled words ............................................................ Keith Armstrong
People with disabilities and state dependency............ Pat Carr
Superwoman with hips of clay.................................... Charlotte Baggins
Invisible People ............................................................. Kevin McGrath
The grey areas of disabled oppression..................... Trevor Thomas
Copyright remains with the individual authors
who freely gave their contributions for publication.

2. Introductiom 2014
The writings republished here will be of special interest for those taking courses in Disability
Studies, Disability History Studies and those with an enquiring mind interested in the
philosophy of ideas.
The articles and drawings shared here were first published 38 years ago. At the time of its
creation those campaigning for equality for disabled people in the UK, were just a few mainly
isolated individuals, and this text reflects the period of its creation. However, from tiny
seeds great plants can emerge.
The cover and some of the illustrations were created by Maryanne Gorden. The cover image
is of barbed wire representing disability discrimination with the cotton wool of the charity
industry who by their very nature never fully resolve the cause of problem they came to
alleviate.
Very little information about the writers can be found on the internet with the exception of
the late Trevor Thomas who died at the age of 86 in 1993.
Obituary: Trevor Thomas http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-trevor-thomas-
1483804.html
Patrick Boylan was Director of Leicester Museums, Arts and Records from 1972 to
1990. This interview is largely about Trevor Thomas, who preceded Patrick as Direc tor
of Leicester Museums in the 1940’s http://www.lgbt-stories.org/patrick-boylan/ (audio)
Art treasures that defied the Nazi terror
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/10838178/Art-treasures-that-defied-the-Nazi-terror.
html
Video: German Expressionism Leicester - Patrick Boylan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE9oNAQyN2Q#t=40
It is ironic to note that 16 years to the day of this Peace News publication, the United Nations
declared the 3rd of December to be International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
The copyright of the articles and artwork remains the creators, this paper is shared in the
interest of academic research.
A big thank you to Peace News for supporting the publication of these articles.
Keith Armstrong

3. Introduction 1976
This issue of Peace News Is about people with disabilities. Most of the work
published in this section Is by people with disabilities. Trevor Thomas is a
member of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality. Charlotte Baggins is a member
of the Anarchy Collective. Pat Carr was evicted from Hornsey Rise Squats and re-squatted
by the Greater London Council. (I say resquatted because the flat had no
utilities whem she was ordered in, although she was asked to pay rent.) Kevin McGrath
has a daughter with a severe mental handicap. Maryanne Gorden has done most of the Art
Work and Is a member of Science for the People Collective. Trevor Thomas drew "Blind
Alley". Thanks to R. for her help.
To talk about the implications of people with disabilities in this society is taboo.
We can only really be liberated when we are all liberated and that can only hap pen during
revolution . .. people with disabilities cannot be liberated if they are either sexists or racists.
People who are gay only really came out when the message of " to be gay is to be beautiful "
got across. Likewise with people who are Black. People with disabilities can only really come
out (I know I haven't fully) when they/we consider ourselves to beautiful as well.
When one asks a member/supporter of the " heavy left" what will happen to people with
disabilities after their " revolution " all I have heard said was " We will build more ' homes '
and create more sheltered employment for disabled people ". That is no source of liberation.
An injury can happen within 0.9 seconds: it can take up to two or three years to recover or
even longer. The system at the present moment spends more money on weapons for
destruction than creation. It is a wonder that so many of us survive for so long even
without having a nuclear war.
There are many aspects of disability we have not mentioned in this issue
because they would take so long to research, or they would take over 10,000 PN pages to
explain. There are no articles on Charities, sex, drugs and drug companies, sheltered
employment, the failure of the Chronically Sick Disabled Persons Act to be even enforced,
etc., although we hope there will be in future issues of PN.
I hope though that this issue will stimulate discussion.
Keith Armstrong, London.