The fight for disability rights in London: A personal perspective

The history and struggle for disability rights in London reveal complex hierarchies and evolving narratives of resistance. The post-First World War period marked a significant shift when thousands of disabled veterans returned home. On the one hand it changed public attitudes towards disability, marking the start of the modern disability rights campaigns.

On the other, it inadvertently created a two-tier system, where those with war-related disabilities received better treatment than those with congenital conditions. This disparity was highlighted by the work of organisations like the Central Council for the Care of Cripples in the 1920s, which fought to extend support beyond veterans.

The social model of disability, championed by theorists Michael Oliver and Colin Barnes in the late 20th century, challenged the prevailing medical perspective. Their work emphasised that disability was not merely a medical condition but a result of societal barriers.

This shift in thinking was further amplified by the 1951 silent march of limbless ex-servicemen in London, which highlighted the exclusion of disabled people from welfare state benefits.

The fight continued with people like activist and comedian Barbara Lisicki, who co-formed the Disabled People’s Direct Action Network (DAN) in 1993. DAN was a group who chained themselves to buses and trains and blocked roads to demand change. She also helped force the government to pass the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act.

Contemporary activists continue this legacy of resistance. Through organisations like Transport for All and Culture Access in Greenwich, they challenge persistent barriers in public transport and cultural spaces, demonstrating that while progress has been made, the fight for genuine equity and accessibility remains ongoing.

One such person who has been fighting for the right to access public spaces is Lewisham-based British-Iranian artist Anahita Harding, who “started campaigning mostly out of anger and frustration”.

Needing to use a wheelchair for over two decades, Anahita felt that it was the everyday barriers she faced as a disabled person in London that inspired her to fight for change. Much of her art “focuses on accessibility, inclusion and what it’s really like to be disabled”. Here Anahita talks about how as a disabled artist, her activism influences her work. Over to Anahita.

I have spina bifida (causing a gap in my spine) and have been a ‘full time’ wheelchair user since she was 11. Getting around London can be difficult. There are many events and exhibitions, but the lack of accessibility makes it hard for me to get to them, especially with public transport, buildings, and shops being difficult to navigate.

Some places are better, like Canary Wharf and Westfield Stratford, and the DLR works well. But there are still a lot of barriers, like stations without lifts, uneven pavements and cars blocking drop kerbs. I’ve learned to adapt by taking different routes or sometimes meeting online to avoid the hassle. On the plus side, London has introduced me to a supportive community of disabled people, like Culture Access in Greenwich, where we discuss accessibility issues and push for change.

I started campaigning mostly out of anger and frustration. It’s horrible being told again and again that you can’t get on a bus because the ramp doesn’t work, or the wheelchair space is full of buggies or luggage. Or that you can’t take a train because there's no staff to put the ramp out. Unfortunately, this still happens, even with some progress like the Turn Up and Go campaign, where disabled transport users can ask for assistance without advanced booking.

Unfortunately, even among disabled people, hierarchies do exist – that’s why discussing intersectionality (how different forms of inequality overlap and interact) is important. I want to challenge these hierarchies, so no one feels overlooked when talking about disability rights.

My own experiences made me want to get involved in Transport for All campaigns – because using public transport is my right, just like anyone else's. Meeting other disabled activists has been a huge positive – we share experiences and support each other. Right now, I’m focusing on my work as a Curatorial Fellow with Accentuate’s Curating Visibility project and the Food Museum, where my project explores the link between food poverty and disability, sharing disabled narratives around accessing food and cooking.

As an artist, I've used my work – like placards (some of which are now in London Museum’s collection) and performances – to highlight inaccessibility and attitudes toward disabled people. I've performed at the Tate Modern, the Monument and Tower Bridge, focusing on issues such as fire evacuation plans for disabled people, or how disabled people have been treated during and after the Paralympics. (Anahita became the first recorded wheelchair user to make it to the top of the Monument to the Great Fire of London in 2023.)

The highs come when a campaign or artwork gets people talking, or when the community comes together to demand change. But there are lows, too – progress can feel slow, and the fight for accessibility is far from over.

Being a Curating Disability Fellow has allowed me to approach things from a perspective often overlooked in curation. As a wheelchair user with spina bifida, my own experience shapes how I approach curating, especially in my current work.

I've focused on how disabled people interact with food, whether through accessible cooking tools or navigating spaces like kitchens and dining rooms. I’ve also explored how food can be hard to access in public spaces due to physical barriers or lack of accommodations for dietary needs.

Through co-production workshops, I’ve worked with other disabled people to highlight real experiences when accessing museum spaces and collection objects.

Moving forward, I want to see more museums and cultural spaces include disability perspectives in all of their work, not just as a theme for exhibitions. My goal is to make disability central to curation, from exhibition design to who tells the stories, making spaces more inclusive for everyone.

Through my performances, I want to change how people see disability and start important conversations. Activism is woven into who I am and the art I create even if it’s not always intentional.

The above text is an edited excerpt from an email interview with Anahita Harding with Shruti Chakraborty, Digital Editor (Content) at London Museum.