News

Professor Mike Oliver

SIA is extremely saddened to hear of the death of Prof Mike Oliver.

Prof Oliver was not only the “Father of the Social Model of Disability”, he was also one of the founding members of SIA. As the first Prof of Disability he brought an intellectual rigour to the Disability Rights Movement. The fact that the Social Model of Disability forms the basis of Disability Equality Legislation in the UK is testament to the debt of gratitude that disabled people in general, and spinal cord injured people in particular, owe to this great man. His contribution to furthering the rights of disabled people is particularly significant in the current environment where those hard-won rights appear to be under attack. It is only on the shoulders of giants such as Prof Oliver that we are able to see a world where disabled people are treated as fully equal members of society.

Thank you Mike – we have no doubt that if the afterlife is not fully accessible now you will fix it!

Brian O’Shea
SIA Continuning Healthcare Advisor

There will be a full tribute to Professor Oliver in the April issue of FORWARD.