Background

The social model of disability has been a crucial approach in starting the journey of rights for Disabled people globally - creating a strong Disabled people’s movement that has achieved important changes in the inclusion and liberation of Disabled people. However, historically, the Disabled peoples movement has concentrated on challenging the structural oppression of disability. This has resulted in a single-issue movement, which excluded black and non-conforming Disabled people.  This point is consistent with many of arguments made by Black Disabled activists such as Mildrette Hill. She said “As a Black Disabled woman, I have often come up against hurdles that impede my progress - even through the simple, ordinary, everyday things that other people take so much for granted. Simple, ordinary, everyday things like the spontaneity of just waking up one morning and deciding to go shopping; then being able to gain access to the buses or tubes in order to do so; and actually being able to use the public toilets while I am out. As Black Disabled people, we often have even bigger battles to wage such as the fight against racism, disablism and all the other forms of oppression which can have such a negative impact upon our lives.” (Begum et al, 1994) 

With learning gained from multiple Black peoples movements, specifically the Black Feminist & Queer movement, the term ‘Disability Justice’ was coined by Patricia Berne and Leroy Moore from the Sins Invalid collective.

The term ‘Disability Justice’ was coined by Patricia Berne and Leroy Moore from the Sins Invalid collective, whose work has been significantly influenced by the Black Feminist and Queer movement.