The 18th Nov-20th Dec is #DisabilityHistoryMonth, an annual event that invites us to focus on the history of disability rights & equality...(1)

...To mark this, we’ve chosen a couple of documents from our collections which show the idea of access to assistance to those who need it due to disability is not a new one. The first example come from our Mining the Seams team! ...(2)

... The Midland Colliery Owners’ Mutual Indemnity Company (MCOMIC) was formed in 1898 to provide liability insurance for coal mines in the Midlands area... (3)

... Following the Workmen’s Compensation Act of 1897, employers were required to take out liability insurance to pay for medical costs and compensation for any employees injured at work... (4)

... As part of the National Coal Board collection, we hold a series of volumes (CR3418/1-26) that record compensation payments for mineworkers throughout the Midlands from 1899 to 1940...(5)

... The volumes show payments for Extraordinary Accidents as well as industrial diseases such as nystagmus & beat knee.
Earlier in the year, a team of volunteers worked hard to transcribe these volumes & an anonymised version of the database will be available online soon! ...(6)

Images courtesy of Warwickshire County Record Office and the National Coal Board, CR3418/4.
#DisabilityHistoryMonth #UKDHM