Disability, Capitalism and Socialism
How does capitalism disable people with impairments and differences? What alternative does socialism offer? Janine speaks alongside Richard Rieser (World of Inclusion) and Ellen Clifford (author and activist).
Issues and campaigns: Disability
Disabled people campaigning for rights – for access, benefits, services and equality; against discrimination, cuts, prejudice and pity!
A Question of Importance
Invited to an event to answer a question of importance, I walked along the street with highness, went in through the door that revolves, past the guard of security, and spoke to the person with femaleness and helpfulness at the … Read more
TUC Disabled Workers statement on Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill and Elections Bill
TUC Disabled Workers’ Committee strongly opposes the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. The Bill includes new duties which oblige public services to share service users’ information with the police, which is an unacceptable shift away from a public health … Read more
TUC Disabled Workers Condemn P&O Sackings
The TUC’s Disabled Members’ Committee has made this statement: Accessible public transport is essential for disabled people to participate in society on an equal and independent basis. To be genuinely accessible, public transport must be adequately staffed by workers with … Read more
Accessibility As Standard Not ‘As Required’
Janine’s opening remarks at the TUC Disabled Workers’ Conference panel discussion on Accessibility As Standard Not ‘As Required’: building accessible workplaces for all, on Monday 21 March 2022. Which is better? A. A wheelchair user arrives at their new workplace, … Read more
TUC Disabled Workers Committee, 16 December 2021
– report by Janine Booth, RMT nominee on the Committee Flexible working and reasonable adjustments The TUC has been advocating what it calls ‘flexible working as a reasonable adjustment’ for disabled workers. What it means by this is the right … Read more
Is There Power In a Union for Autistic Workers?
An assessment of trade unions as drivers of positive change for autistic people at work, written as an assignment for Postgraduate Certificate in Autism and Asperger Syndrome [Note: this is not advocating a union for autistic workers, but assessing the potential … Read more
Neurodiversity in the Workplace: RMT training course
The union’s new 3-day course on Neurodiversity in the Workplace will run on 10-12 September at the National Education Centre. ‘Neurodiversity’ means that different people have different brain wiring. Unfortunately, those with a minority brain wiring – such as dyslexic, … Read more
Report: TUC Disabled Workers’ Committee, 14 October 2021
This was the first full meeting of the committee elected in March. It elected Dave Allan as chair (a formality as he is the disabled workers’ representative on the TUC General Council); and Annie Galpin as co-chair. Implementing Disabled Workers’ … Read more
Speaking for Labour to adopt neurodiversity policy
The Labour Party’s 2021 National Policy Forum report contained no mention of neurodiversity, despite a detailed and popular submission from Neurodivergent Labour to the Forum. So Janine proposed to Conference that it ‘refer back’ that section of the report so that … Read more
Calling for Labour to adopt policy on neurodiversity
At 2021 Labour Party conference, I moved a ‘reference back’ of the National Policy Forum report, due to its failure to include any policy on neurodiversity, despite a detailed submission being made to the policy forum process. This is what … Read more
Why Does Work Not Work for Autistic People?
Assignment written for the Postgraduate Certificate in Autism and Asperger Syndrome, Sheffield Hallam University. WHY DOES WORK NOT WORK FOR US? How and why is employment hostile to autistic people? How useful are the main autism theories in explaining … Read more
Practical Humanistic Models for Supporting Autistic People in Distress: time for a paradigm shift?
a guest post by Ian Hutchinson, autistic clinician – NHS children’s services, Cornwall Thinking about practical humanistic models for supporting autistic people in distress, time for a paradigm shift? Over recent years and in service provision ranging from education and … Read more
Dinah Murray 1946-2021
A nature lover, mushroom finder, activist and fighter against oppression, for our future, thinker, speaker, writer Always radical, always left, sometime Green and Labour, A friend, a comrade, partner, mum, a new-found Scottish neighbour An organiser, platform builder, amplifier of … Read more
RMT Members Help Win Justice for Osime
Published in RMT News, July/August 2021 RMT members have helped to win justice for Osime Brown, a young, black, autistic, learning-disabled man. The union saw this as an issue that deserved our support and solidarity. Janine Booth, Secretary of RMT’s Disabled Members’ … Read more
Dinah Murray RIP
This is the obituary of Dinah that I wrote for Solidarity Workers’ Liberty is saddened to learn of the death of Dr Dinah Murray. Dinah spoke alongside me at two of our Ideas for Freedom summer schools and at an … Read more
Video: The Social Model of Disability
A ten-minute video explaining the social model of disability.
The Reason I Fight
Janine Booth reviews ‘The Reason I Jump’ I don’t watch many documentaries about autism, and on the rare occasion when I sit down to watch one, I am overwhelmed with a sense of dread. So much rubbish is said on … Read more
I’m Autistic: It’s an Adjective not an Accessory
(and why I prefer to think of it like this rather than as IFL vs PFL) There are many good articles explaining why most autistic people prefer to be referred to as ‘autistic people’ rather than ‘people with autism’. The … Read more
Ten Barriers Autistic Workers Face and How to Overcome Them
First published as a blog post for the TUC’s ‘Stronger Unions’ on 23 November 2016: Most autistic people want to work, but often encounter difficulties in the workplace which employers can address better. Author and workplace trade union representative … Read more