At the invitation of Amsab-ISG, twenty experts gathered on May 3rd for a workshop titled " Disability History: Self-Help Organizations and the Striving for Independence of People with Disabilities in Flanders and Belgium, 1960 to the Present ." The central theme was the role self-help organizations played in the historical struggle for the emancipation of people with disabilities. Anaïs Van Ertvelde was the keynote speaker, discussing her new book, " Handicap, a Liberation ," and Tim Debroyer (KU Leuven) presented his doctoral research on the history of self-help organizations. The workshop was followed by a roundtable discussion with several experts from the field.
At the Amsab Institute for Social History, we preserve the archives of organizations linked to emancipation movements. We believe that contemporary historiography on disability in Belgium still too often focuses on the healthcare sector, rather than on the individuals involved. Yet, these organizations have successfully united in their struggle for recognition. Therefore, we sought to involve these organizations in the workshop. Attendees included staff from GRIP , a human rights organization for people with disabilities, and ENIL , the international movement for independent living.
Our workshop highlighted the perspectives of people with disabilities and their self-help organizations. Much of their history remains underexposed. Hopefully, the workshop provided the impetus to change this. The ultimate goal was to forge connections between researchers, self-help organizations, and archives within a learning network, and to facilitate further research on the topic. At the end of the workshop, it was agreed to organize meetings through mailings as a learning network. There was also interest in a newsletter and joint projects, such as oral history about the movement's pioneers. To be continued.
