What is the Living Library?

Disability history, and the everyday experience of Disabled people in the North East, is historically undocumented. The risk of losing it forever is real.

Difference North East, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Grant, is building a Living Library: a digital archive of oral histories, recorded with Disabled people who were alive and living in the North East during the 1990s.

These recordings will be available online and in libraries across the North East, so that a new generation of Disabled people can understand where they come from, who came before them, and what rights and values underpin their lives today.

Bex Bowsher is Difference North East's Development Manager for Tyneside. With 15 years in arts and culture, she brings a deep commitment to disability justice and creative access, and a genuine passion for improving the lives of Disabled people in the North East.

Allison is the Administrator on this project, working behind the scenes to make sure Disability History Month runs smoothly — from coordinating accessible venues to keeping partners connected and ensuring Disabled people can fully access the events and stories that belong to them.

What does taking part involve?

We want to record an oral history interview with you about your experience of the Disability Discrimination Act of 1995. You decide what you share. You have full consent in the editing process.

1. A one-to-one introduction with Bex Bex will explain the project, walk you through the consent form, share the questions in advance, and answer anything you want to know before the session.
2. Your recording session A one-hour session with Matthew, Bex and Allison (with room for up to two hours if needed). Online, by phone, or in person, wherever works for you.
3. Review and consent You will hear the initial edit before anything is published, and can request changes or withdraw entirely. Nothing goes live without your approval.
4. Optional debrief A 30-minute follow-up with Bex if you would like to talk through how the session went.

Recording sessions will take place between August and September 2026. The Living Library launches on 20 November 2026.

We will make it work for you

We will ask about your access needs in advance so we can plan around them. We want the session to be comfortable, collaborative, and at your pace.

We know that talking about ableism, the past, and personal experience can bring things up. We work with care and consideration throughout. The purpose is not to re-traumatise or expose, but to preserve and honour your experience.

Join Difference North East

To take part you need to be a member of Difference North East. Membership is free. You can sign up at differencenortheast.org.uk or email Bex at bex@differencenortheast.org.uk.