Digital publication

World's Smallest Bookshop: Top 10

Subversion and Collective Self-Activity

Some were active in trade unions, others were not members - even though all involved in the study viewed unions positively. Reasons for non-membership varied and were often related to: the precarity of their jobs; being wrongly told by those in union staff or work managers that they couldn't join a union; not knowing that unions

for their particular sector existed; reporting that they could not afford the membership fee. All participants suggested that more could and should be done by unions to centre disabled gig economy workers' interests and support their involvement in union activities/structures. Some participants were also doing organising work in other activist groups, including DPOs; some were doing volunteering work in foodbanks, mutual aid, disability advocacy groups and refugee groups.

So what does all this show us? It clearly demonstrates the difficulties and exploitation disabled people face. Nothing here was surprising, even if it is heartbreaking. But Ciadish is not a place to dwell. On the contrary. These findings, although disheartening, are crucial for identifying the issues so they can be resolved. Change was never achieved by dusting hard truths under rugs. We expect – nay – demand society to start listening to us. We exist, and we have a right to take up space. We should be allowed to do that without exploitation or running ourselves into the ground just to keep up with unfair and unjust expectations.

Follow @DisPrecWork on Twitter to learn more about the study and see the latest findings

Each issue, Ciadish pick ten books to sell in the World's Smallest Bookshop: a bookshelf in the Purple Pumpkin Patch craft shop, Loughborough. Though small, the bookshop offers readers an array of fab books by CIAD writers. Could your book be one of next issue's choices? Send books and press info to CIADISH and it might be.

Children's

The Show Must Go On

Michelle Russell and Richard O' Neill

Paws

Kate Foster

Jayben and the Golden Torch

Thomas Leeds

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating

Elisabeth Tova Bailey

Non Fiction

Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability and Making Space

Amanda Leduc