On 5th November, my colleague Rich Currie and I hosted a successful ESRC Festival of Social Sciences event, ‘Activism, Ambition, Action…and Austerity? Disabled Young People Speak Out!’. The aim of the event was to bring together disabled young people, researchers, activists, allies, artists, advocates, students and associated professionals and policy makers to instigate dialogues concerning disability, youth and ambition in the context of an increasingly precarious environment for disabled people in Britain.
“Today has helped me to see that laughter and sequins can be used creatively and collaboratively for social change.” (Academic)
Situated around the following questions, we ran sessions that were accessible, highly interactive and aimed at young people:
- In the context of austerity, what are young people’s ambitions for their own futures?
- How can young people’s ambitions be fostered in austere and disabling contexts?
- ‘Where are we’ in terms of disability youth activism and young disabled people’s organisations in Britain?
- How might we resist? Is making claims for disability justice (Mingus 2011), rather than disability rights, a more worthwhile project in austere times?
- How can we maintain meaningful dialogues between social scientists/research communities and young people in Britain, in ways that work towards disability justice?
“Today has opened my mind and eyes to disabled people and their future.”(Young person)

My own imagined better life world: public and private spaces that are inclusive and respectful of a diversity of bodies.
“Today as taught me to be bolder in the work I do.”(42nd Street professional)