Disability History is a growing area of research within the department and nationally-important sources for the study of disability in Britain and globally are housed at the Modern Records Centre.

Dr Claire Shaw has worked on the history of Deafness in the Soviet Union. Current PhD researchers include Mia Edwards, Samir Hamdoud, and Beckie Rutherford

A former staff member in the Department , Dr Fred Reid, was active in supporting and organising amongst blind and partially-sighted people nationally and in Warwickshire. In addition to his academic research, Dr Reid served as president of the National Federation of the Blind, a trustee of the Royal National Institute for the Blind, and more broadly worked with the Disablement Income Group. He donated his papers to the Modern Records Centre where they are housed for researchers present and future.

Did you know that the Modern Records Centre, right here on campus, has an outstanding collection of material from the disability rights movement?

This includes groups mentioned in our display - such as the Disability Income Group, the National Federation of the Blind, as well as Trade Boards and other organisations who worked with disabled people.

They have even produced a helpful source guide for anyone interested in finding out more.

The image on the right-hand column of the screen is taken from one of the MRC collections: the papers of George H. Cullen, relating to his work with the Governmental Training Centres and Industrial Rehabilitation Units. Industrial Rehabilitation Units were created by the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944 to provide vocational training opportunities to disabled people (albeit with a particular focus on men injured in military service). They reflect an increasing awareness that people with disabilities were able to participate in the workforce given appropriate support, and went alongside other forms of adapted work such as the government's Remploy Scheme. But they arguably also demonstrated the beginnings of new forms of management logic and, by fixating on physical or mobility-related disabilities continued to overlook other groups of people who remained excluded from opportunities in labour and education.

Modern Records Centre, 873/4/2, album of photographs belonging to George H. Cullen, and shows the Government Training Centre and Industrial Rehabilitation Unit at Perivale, Middlesex. Cullen is the man on the left.