In January 2021 the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography kindly added an four-page entry for Lorraine Gradwell. It can be accessed for free by many people online by using library membership details.
https://doi.org/10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.013.90000380243
——
A working group was formed in 2018 of Lorraine Gradwell’s family, friends and colleagues to take forward a series of initiatives in areas of disability politics and community where Lorraine had provided leadership, both with a capital L and lower case l.
The group is kindly hosted and supported by Manchester City Council, and aims to meet six-weekly to progress a series of mini-projects to take forward the work of Lorraine and the campaigns she was involved in. This is all informal and there is no dedicated budget, rather relying on various people’s commitment to keeping a legacy in place as best they can.
A key moment for the group’s work will be the next Disability History Month from 22 November to 22 December, and within that the International Day of Disabled People on 3 December, which this year falls on a Monday.
Two main themes have been identified by the group as areas it wishes to concentrate on: disability culture, and the employment issues faced by disabled people.
There is also a plan to establish the Trust Lorraine Fund to help promote the better representation of disabled people in elected office – councillors and MPs. This would take forward Lorraine’s work with the House of Commons Speaker’s Conference on Representation.
Names – because this informal group includes ‘private individuals’ as well as officials the convention here will be to use their initials rather than full names where possible.
Inga Mahoney (1931 – 2018)
Sadly, Lorraine’s mother Inga Mahoney (nee Blythman) passed away on 8 May 2018, at home in North Ormsby, Middlesbrough, peacefully in the night. RIP Inga.
– downloads –
Progress notes
2018-05-23 Lorraine Gradwell legacy – progress sheet
2018-04-15 Lorraine Gradwell legacy – progress sheet
Background documents
2012-11-15 A Disabled Peoples Hub in Manchester v3
2018-02-06 Abraham Moss offices layout
Textiles
This is Lorraine’s collection of 18 t-shirts with disability politics slogans. The catalogue is here – 2017 Lorraine Gradwell – Campaign Clothing (draft v2)
Various documents –
1987-12-13 Standing Up for Normality by Lorraine Gradwell
1987-12-13 Standing Up for Normality by Lorraine Gradwell (reformated)
Tony Baldwinson 