Haringey makes history for Disability History Month

Giving young people the opportunity to take over key roles at the council for a day and awards for activity provision have been among the highlights of this year’s Disability History Month in Haringey.

Running from 16 November to 16 December, UK Disability History Month is an annual event creating a platform to focus on the history of the struggle for equal rights and equality for people with disabilities, as well as looking forward to the future.

The theme for Disability History Month 2023 was “Disability, Children and Youth”, so it was fitting that the highlights of the month in Haringey included the borough’s first ever Takeover Day on 23 November, where young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) took over the roles of the council’s political and corporate leaders for the day.

The day saw young individuals stepping into the roles of the Leader of the Council, Chief Executive, Mayor, Director of Children's Services and our Head of SEND. Additionally, they had the unique opportunity to contribute to the Spring edition of Haringey People magazine.

The borough also made history when the council’s Active Communities team won an award for its Get Out Get Active work, a programme supporting disabled and non-disabled people to be active together.

The "Embedding Inclusion Award" was bestowed on the council by the Activity Alliance, a national charity and leading voice for disabled people in sport and activity, recognising the council’s work with community providers to offer better access to active recreation opportunities for disabled and non-disabled young people in Haringey.

And in further award-winning news, Hornsey resident Megan Allen has been presented with a prestigious award for her work supporting disabled people in Haringey.

Megan volunteers with We Swim, an organisation that does vital work helping disabled people to enjoy swimming. Having won the BBC Unsung Hero award for the London region, Megan is now on the 15-person shortlist for the same award at Sports Personality of the Year.

As the year draws to a close, we look back on a 2023 full of milestones for disabled residents in Haringey and look forward to making more history for disability representation and inclusion in 2024.