There are two main topics to report this month.

1. The (new) Disabled People’s Archive

This month the Executive Council of the Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People (GMCDP) decided that because the GMCDP Archive had grown a great deal, it was now time to name it the Disabled People’s Archive.

This new name recognises the leading role that the GMCDP Archive Development Project has played for 18 years since 2002 in storing and protecting the history of the campaigns of radical disabled people and Disabled People’s Organisations.

More details:
http://www.gmcdp.com/disabled-peoples-archive

2. The (new) Rosalie Wilkins Collection in the DPA

In 1972 Rosalie Wilkins, a young disabled woman , started her career as a TV presenter and interviewer in a documentary on Het Dorp, a “village” for disabled people in The Netherlands (Holland). The programme was made by the World In Action team at Granada TV in Manchester and was broadcast by ITV nationally.

This led on to her presenting the “Link” programme, every fortnight from 1975 to 1988. This was made by one of the ITV regional companies – ATV, later called Central, based in Birmingham, then by Coffers Bare Productions, and for broadcast on national ITV, later transferring to Channel 4.

Rosalie has kindly donated around 10 VHS tapes and some of her supporting documents to the Disabled Peoples Archive. Where possible these analogue tapes have been copied into MP4 digital format.

Copyright notice – these tapes and files are strictly for *private research* viewing only.

The conversion process used from VHS to MP4 involves the lid of the VCR (video cassette recorder) being off to help monitor for any tape jams, and a circuit breaker being added for safety. Hopefully after lockdown we may be able to access more professional systems.

Keep well and safe,

Tony

Back copies: http://www.tonybaldwinson.com/research-bulletins