Disablement Income Group

The Disablement Income Group (or DIG) was a British disability pressure group formed in 1965 in Godalming, Surrey. It is considered the first pan-impairment pressure group in Britain, and was created to campaign for the introduction of a full disability income through the social security system for all disabled people.[1]

According to the Charity Commission, The Disablement Income Group had ceased to exist as a charity by 2 April 2003.[2]

History

DIG was founded in 1965 by two housewives, Megan du Boisson and Berit Moore.[3] At the time, social security payments to disabled people depended on the cause of impairment. People injured in war or in the workplace were entitled to significantly more support than the "civilian" disabled. DIG's campaigns brought disability to the attention of the general public. Other events such as the thalidomide scandal led to the creation of a series of new social security benefits in the 1970s. These included benefits for housewives and carers who had previously been excluded from benefit.[4]

In 1988, DIG was appointed by government to help administer the Independent Living Fund.[5]

DIG is significant as it was formed by disabled people, and key leaders such as Du Boisson, Mary Greaves and Peter Large were themselves disabled. For this reason, many consider DIG to represent the beginnings of the modern disability movement in the United Kingdom.[6][7]

References

  1. ↑ Disablement Income Group (1972). Creating a National Disability Income. Disablement Income Group. ISBN 090419101X.
  2. ↑ Charity Commission. "290744 - THE DISABLEMENT INCOME GROUP". Charity Commission. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  3. ↑ Kinrade, Derek (2007). Alf Morris: People's Parliamentarian. National Information Forum. pp. 139–144. ISBN 0955751500.
  4. ↑ Hampton, Jameel. "Disability and Social Policy: The Experience of the British Welfare State". Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, YouTube. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  5. ↑ "HC Deb 15 March 1993 vol 221 cc36-117". Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  6. ↑ Jane Campbell, Mike Oliver (1996). Disability Politics: Understanding Our Past, Changing Our Future. Routledge. pp. 19–23. ISBN 0415079985.
  7. ↑ Gareth Millward. "Disability and Voluntarism in British Policy Making". Voluntary Action History Society. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
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