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in conversation

was inspired by Sylvia Pankhurst and the National Council for Independent
joined other feminists calling for equality Living. She was the founding chair of the
for women. Social Care Institute for Excellence and, in
“I was actually fighting for equal rights 2001, she was made a dame commander
for women and equal pay before I ever of the British Empire. She was a
became involved in fighting for disabled commissioner of the Disability Rights
people’s rights,” she says. Commission and, in 2007, was appointed
a crossbench peer in the House of Lords.
Employer ignorance She was surprised at the peerage
Leaving Sussex with a first in her master’s because of her history of vociferous
degree, she assumed employment would campaigning, not to mention the
not be a problem. She applied for about occasional lawbreaking.
90 jobs. All the replies said “sorry we Of those earlier days, she says: “I had to
don’t employ disabled people” or “sorry go and get angry somewhere. I had to find
we couldn’t cater for your needs”. “Not out who I was. I had to understand the
that they knew my needs of course,” she true nature of social oppression as it
says. “I began to realise that there was affects disabled people.” A friend told her
something radically wrong.” that her experience was exactly the
Then, she secured a job with a well- reason the House of Lords needed her.
known, well-funded national disability The House of Lords may seem an
charity. Almost unbelievably, they sacked “I started my life absolutely hating disabled unlikely place for a campaigner but it is
her three months later because her people and hating me. And now I absolutely clear Campbell genuinely has an impact.
disability prevented her from operating a love disabled people. And I totally love me” “I am there to revise and influence
manual typewriter. legislation,” she says, “I have always
Then, in 1981, a woman who was Campbell became the chair of the abided by the rules of the house because
setting up the British Council of Disabled BCODP as the disability movement was they are there for a reason. I do very little
People (BCODP) invited Campbell to its achieving a serious public profile. campaigning – I just use persuasion and
second meeting. She did not really want argument and hope that other people are
to join a disability group, saying: “I have Apology for exclusion influenced by it.”
spent half my life trying to get away from Years later in 2016, I was at the launch of Campbell’s most recent work is seeking
segregation, not to rejoin it.” Learning Disability England and heard to amend the Domestic Abuse Bill to
The woman explained that the council Campbell give a speech in which she include disabled people who are abused
had been set up to challenge that very apologised to people with learning by their carers.
exclusion, and also suggested that disabilities that they had been excluded
Campbell should examine her prejudices from the early disability movement. Archaic rules
about disabled people and herself. “She She says now: “I think it was very The House of Lords has changed a little
said if you deny disabled people, then you important to apologise. It took me a while just because she is there. When she asked
are denying yourself. You should be proud to recognise that we were being exclusive. if a personal assistant (PA) could sit with
of who you are.” We were far too academic. We weren’t her in the chamber, she was told: “Oh no,
Reluctantly, Campbell went to the accessible enough. We all spoke middle- that’s a 1725 rule that must never be
meeting. The main event was Mike Oliver class, well-educated language. broken. No commoner goes on the floor
speaking about the social model of “And we weren’t very kind to each other. of the House of Lords except for
disability. It was, says Campbell, an We had spent years fighting each other in doorkeepers and staff.”
extraordinary lecture. private as we worked out our personal and Campbell says that it took 18 months
“I could feel the little hairs on the back collective identities. I think when we came before it was accepted that the whole
of my neck going up and I tingled all over. up with the slogan ‘Nothing about us place was not going to crumble because
Suddenly, everything fell into place. It was without us’, as an organisation we had to she had brought her PA into the chamber.
a semi-religious experience because I left abide by that or we would become what However, some members still
that room a different person than I went we had been oppressed by.” complained that the PA had brought in a
in. From that day onwards, I became a Campbell’s further career is on the little green chair to sit on. The chair was
freedom fighter for disabled people.” public record. She co-founded and chaired re-covered in red (to match the benches)
and everyone was happy. She laughs:
With members of “If that was all that was going to bother
disabled people’s them, I thought, well, OK, we can give
organisation Real them a reasonable accommodation.”
in 2015 In closing, Campbell reaffirms the
crucial change of consciousness that
began for her during that lecture by
Mike Oliver.
“I started my life absolutely hating
disabled people, and hating me,” she says.
“And now I absolutely love disabled
people. And I totally love me! It’s
important to be proud of who we are.” n
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