Disability History Month 2024
Disability History Month 2024 takes place from 14 November - 20 December, and aims to highlight the history and achievements of disabled people, especially those who have fought for equality and human rights.
This year's theme is 'Disability, Livelihood and Employment', highlighting the historical and ongoing challenges disabled people face in the workforce, as well as the progress made towards greater inclusion and equality.
Join our Disabled Members' Network
The Disabled Members' Network is a space for MU members who identify as disabled and/or neurodivergent to meet and discuss issues that impact their communities, shape MU policy, and change the music industry and the MU for the better.
When I first entered the music industry, I think because of being autistic, I was often taken advantage of. There were lots of unspoken rules in the industry, and sometimes people would use this to their advantage, telling me it was normal to be playing for free or paying a deposit to play a gig.
I sometimes had a sense of “I don’t think this is right”, but because of a keenness to succeed I would decide not to question things too hard, or I would be completely oblivious to what was happening.
I love being a musician and getting to use my platform to speak openly about being disabled and why that’s important, but it can also be really challenging.
Providing support, resources and an added sense of legitimacy
When I became a member of the Musicians’ Union, I finally had a place I could sense-check things. There were a clear set of rules as to what was and wasn’t okay, and if something fell into a grey area, I could just give someone a ring or send an email and get advice about what my rights were as an artist.
When venues weren’t paying me or were being deliberately unclear about what a fee was, I felt as if I had support and understanding behind me so that I could get help in negotiating.
When I was trying to argue my own case, I could link to the resources the MU had already created, explaining things like the barriers faced by disabled musicians, reasonable adjustments, or our rights to support at work.
This not only saved me from doing loads of unpaid labour but also added to the perceived legitimacy of what I was saying. It wasn’t just me, an artist asking for things, it was me asking for things that my Union backed me needing.
The Union has been really validating because the rules of the interactions are really clear
I also think the Union has been really validating because the rules of the interactions are really clear.
For ages, I was asking friends and colleagues to help me navigate these trickier situations, and it meant not only were other musicians having to work for free, but I had a sense of needing to owe people favours and not wanting to ask too much in case I overstepped a mark.
With the Musicians’ Union, I know that I am allowed to ask questions, seek advice and there are no unspoken expectations from that interaction.
Removing one of many financial barriers for disabled musicians
As a disabled performer, my costs are much higher than a lot of my non-disabled peers. This is because I need to pay for access support when I go to gigs, hotel rooms, or split up travel days because of the realities of my conditions.
The MU has an option where disabled people can pay a lower fee for membership, which I think is a really important acknowledgement of the fact that for many of us who are disabled, costs are often higher and there is a huge barrier of access to getting this kind of support.
The support I’ve received from the MU whilst I’ve been a member has been extremely helpful, and it’s lovely to get a chance to share that through this blog.