Disabled people need to stop focusing on gaining recognition of their own problems and build alliances with other human rights groups in the hope of creating a fairer society, a leading campaigner will argue next week.

Baroness Jane Campbell, Commissioner and Disability Committee Chair at the Equality and Human Rights Commission, will be giving this year’s Annual Disability Lecture in Cambridge on Tuesday (29 April).

Her speech reflects a movement away from identity politics towards consensus action and a desire to bring disabled people together with other marginalised groups to increase their power and influence.

Baroness Campbell has a long history of working for disability rights. She was a Commissioner of the Disability Rights Commission from its inception in 2000 and is now an independent health and social care policy adviser, and Chair of the Office for Disability Issues (ODI) Independent Living Review Expert Panel.

Her lecture will be preceded by a day’s workshop on the theme of “Engaging Disabled People – meeting the challenge of the Disability Equality Scheme”.

The workshop, organised by the Disability Resource Centre and St John's College, will consider new ideas and innovation in relation to the University’s obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act [2006]. This stipulates the need to involve disabled people in and seek their views and feedback on all activities.

The day will start with presentations by a range of experts, including Derek Child, Head of Equality and Diversity at the Open University.

Kirsty Wayland, Disability Equality Training Organiser at Cambridge’s Disability Resource Centre, says the new legislation will require institutions to gradually increase the work them do on involving disabled people and getting their feedback.

“We believe we have got the people who have most to offer in this respect for the workshop,” she added.

For Cambridge, she said the biggest challenge to improving feedback was communicating best practice across the College system. But the Collegiate system brought a lot of bonuses in terms of innovative practice.

“There are a lot of exciting things going on and we need to let everyone know. Increasing disabled student numbers encourage us. The opportunities for them are progressing,” said Kirsty Wayland.

The workshop and lecture are open to those within and outside the university and are free to University employees. To book a place please contact David Sparks staffdev@admin.cam.ac.uk

The workshop takes place from 9.30 to 4pm on 29 April and the lecture starts at 5pm with refreshments from 4.15pm. Both are being held at the Fisher Building, St John’s College, which has full access for disabled people including an induction loop and there will be a BSL interpreter present for the lecture.

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