Crippled, Handicapped, Disabled: Living Beyond Labels

UK charity Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People (QEF) is holding its first public exhibition entitled ‘Crippled, Handicapped, Disabled’: Living beyond labels. It explores changing attitudes towards disability over the last 80 years and looks at the evolution of the charity from its humble beginnings as The Cripples’ Training College in 1935 with 16 trainees to a broad organisation offering a raft of services to support thousands of people with disabilities.

The exhibition is centred around eight main objects including an Iron Lung and an Invacar and features archival photographs, film, and newly recorded oral histories from people who have benefitted from QEF’s services. The exhibition also tells a powerful story of the determination that our past beneficiaries and clients have shown to achieve their goals in life.

This exhibition has been funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and QEF are grateful for their support.

Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People is a national disability charity working with people with physical and learning disabilities or acquired brain injuries to help them gain new skills and increase independence for life.