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David Turner

@profdavidturner.bsky.social
7.6K followers 2.4K following 43 posts

Disability historian, Director of the Research Institute in Culture and Communities, Swansea University. Vice Chair Disability Arts Cymru. Disability: A History of Resistance out now from The Bodley Head / Vintage.

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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 1h
I'll be discussing Disability a History of Resistance with Robin Ince at the British Library on 23 November. Come and join us for this Disability History Month event! events.bl.uk/events/resis...
A yellow flier for Resistance a History of Disability in Britain thanking place at 7pm on 23 November the British Library. The image includes photos of the author David Turner and host Robin Ince,two middle aged white men,either side of Turner's book cover.
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Elle | they/them | Published as Lynsay Hodges @lynsayhodges.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
A brilliant article on how the current conversations around the undeserving disabled person harkens back hundreds of years — but that disabled people have always campaigned for their rights in the face of such oppression
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Dr Beckie Rutherford (she/her) @beckierutherford.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
"Including disabled people in the story of Britain, which is what the book grandly tries to do, is about showing that disabled people are always there and that disability isn’t some kind of modern trend." Extremely timely reflections from @profdavidturner.bsky.social's new book project ...
substack.com
David Turner: “Disabled people have always been part of history"
The historian on his landmark new book ‘Disability: A History of Resistance’
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Brilliant! Thanks Beckie!
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Thank you so much!
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
'Disability history largely remains a missing part of the UK's story. Understanding it helps explain why contemporary debates often feel so fraught' New article by me in The Conversation theconversation.com/todays-argum...
theconversation.com
Today’s arguments about disability benefits have been raging for 500 years
From Tudor welfare claims to modern PIP assessments, disabled people have long faced suspicion and bureaucracy.
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Lovely photo!
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Thanks for buying the book Andrew. I really enjoyed researching the ITA and Disabled Drivers Association. That's a great photo, are you in it?
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
That's great, thank you!
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Chronic Historian ♾️♿️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️💜🖤💛🦓🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🍉🐺🐈‍⬛🧑‍🌾🌱🌳 @enbycriphistorian.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
OMG I am so excited - not only is this out, but it’s out in audiobook through Libro.fm right now so I can listen to it with a credit rn and quite possibly ask for a nice hardback copy for Xmas! I do find audiobooks a big accessibility aid as do a lot of other disabled folk so this is WONDERFUL ❤️
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
It doesn't have a US release but Blackwell's online bookshop ships to N America blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/pro...
blackwells.co.uk
Disability
Spanning over 500 years of British history and unearthing countless untold tales and voices, David Turner shows how attitudes in the past were often more open t
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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
What happens if we place the UK university crisis in the Humanities (and some Social Sciences) within the context of students with known disabilities? We know that regional cold spots increasingly limit HE choices for many disadvantaged students. What do the stats suggest for disability? A 🧵 1/5
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Daniel Blackie @danielblackie.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Finally got my hands on this #DisHist nugget from @profdavidturner.bsky.social. Congratulations, David - smashing to see it out in the wild!
Photo of the book Disability: A History of Resistance
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Thanks Dan!
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Thank you!
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AMEND - eArly Modern European NeuroDivergence @amendproject.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
We're so excited about these amazing new books! Coming soon to a library or bookstore near you!🤩📚
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Many thanks! 🙏
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
My 500 year history of disabled people's political activism is out now! Thanks to The Independent for making it their non-fiction book of the month! www.penguin.co.uk/books/455782... #disabilityhistory
penguin.co.uk
Disability
A ground-breaking history of modern Britain that puts the experiences of disabled people to the fore for the first time. Despite there being more than 16 million disabled people in the UK today, disa...
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Sam Read Bookseller @samreadbookseller.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
Happy publication week to these excellent books...
A stack of books on a stone wall with green fells beyond...
☀️ Claire Daverley, People in Love (Fig Tree)
☀️ Cassandra Neyenesch, A Little Bit Bad (Fig Tree)
☀️ Maggie O’Farrell, Land (Tinder Press)
☀️ Fiona Mozley, Awake Awake (John Murray)
☀️ Melissa Albert, The Children (Bloomsbury Circus)
☀️ Tony Tan, Hong Kong Cult Recipes (Murdoch)
☀️ Layla McCay, The Queer Bookshelf (Scribe)
☀️ Paul Maunder, For a Yellow Jersey: The Scandalous History of the Women's Tour de France (Quercus)
☀️ Rebecca Tamas, The Book of Mysteries: Wild Time and the Ritual Year (Pushkin ONE)
☀️ Jean-Yves Mollier and George Miller (trans), A History of Booksellers and the Bookshop (Mountain Leopard Press)
☀️ Katie Clapham, Receipts from the Bookshop (Phoenix)
☀️ Natasha Carthew, Rough Edges: Where Land Meets Water, the Untold Stories of Coastline Communities (Sceptre)
☀️ David Turner, Disability: A History of Resistance (The Bodley Head)
☀️ Thomas Crowther, Nature's Echo: Harnessing ancient feedback loops to heal a changing planet (Torva)
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
Thanks for this article about my new book in Disability News Service. Disability a History of Resistance releases next Thursday in print, audio and ebook formats #disavilityhistory
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
Thanks! It's exciting to have the chance to publish it in different formats, hopefully it makes it more accessible.
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
My (very small) office for the week, recording the audiobook of Disability: a History of Resistance. Radical Newport seems a fitting place to be recording my words on disabled people's role in 19th century working class struggles.
Recording studio vocal booth. A microphone is positioned above an iPad.A book Disability a History of Resistance by David Turner. The cover shows a man without arms or legs in 18th century costume.A white banner with the slogan AS ONE WE ARE STRONG, attributed to Zephaniah Williams
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Glen O'Hara @gsoh31.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
A great event towards the end of Jan - m'learned colleague Daniel Gordon, who recently took voluntary redundancy from academia, is going to reflect on how that feels and what it's like. Since many academics are going to be in that position, important. 👇 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/uk-univers...
eventbrite.co.uk
UK Universities in Crisis: Reflections on Leaving Salaried Academia
Join fellow Gramscian Daniel Gordon, navigating personal reflections on the fractures of UK Academia.
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
It was great to be invited by aMai Musié to be part of this article on disability access and representation in the arts and cultural sector alongside Kyle Lewis Jordan and Touretteshero's Jess Thom. www.artsprofessional.co.uk/feature/noth...
artsprofessional.co.uk
Nothing Without Us: Disability in the arts and cultural sector - Arts Professional
Dr Mai Musié, senior manager at the National Centre for Academic and Cultural Exchange (NCACE), speaks to three leaders working at the intersection of research and the cultural sector about disability...
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 08/11/2025
30 years ago today the Disability Discrimination Act became law in the UK. We're at Insole Court, Cardiff today for #BeingHumanFestival25 reflecting on it's legacy
Silver balloons spelling out Happy Birthday next to photos showing disability activism campaigns from the 1990s
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 05/11/2025
Great to be at the Being Human Festival launch at the BFI, showcasing our event on disability activism and the Disability Discrimination Act #disabiliyhistory #publichumanities
Sign saying Creative Protest and Celebration: 30 Years of the Disability Discrimination Act Young man wearing black using a badge making machine watched by several people Display of various colourful posters and photos showing aspects of disability activism from the early 1990s
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 11/09/2025
Thank you Clare, that means a lot. It's a privilege to have a platform to tell these stories, so it's lovely to hear that they resonate.
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 27/08/2025
Out now! William Dodd Fights the Factories - me discussing the Industrial Revolution, factory reform and the history of Victorian disability activism www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
bbc.co.uk
History's Heroes - William Dodd Fights the Factories - BBC Sounds
A worker takes on the factory system and demands an end to brutal conditions.
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 27/08/2025
Out now! William Dodd Fights the Factories - me discussing the Industrial Revolution, factory reform and the history of Victorian disability activism www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
bbc.co.uk
History's Heroes - William Dodd Fights the Factories - BBC Sounds
A worker takes on the factory system and demands an end to brutal conditions.
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Helen Ellis @hjellis.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
Request for help from the autistic community! 💜♾️ I'm writing a book about autistic people's relationships with food & drink, and I want to include more personal examples/stories than just my own If anyone is interested in contributing, this survey link has more info: www.surveymonkey.com/r/PGCYTJP
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
It might be beyond the scope of the book, but thanks for sharing!
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
Thank you so much I look forward to reading!
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 23/07/2025
I didn't know about that. Yes, I'd love to learn more
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 23/07/2025
Thanks! I write a bit about how disabled people in the past responded to tech and innovated their own. Mental health is there in the book but it's not something I look at in great detail. It's a big time period I'm covering so inevitably there are some gaps, but also lots that's new hopefully!
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 23/07/2025
Thank you!
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 22/07/2025
My talk on 18th century histories of disability and resistance at the Institute of Historical Research is now available as a podcast www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...
history.ac.uk
Histories of Resistance: Disability, Agency and Embodiment in the Long Eighteenth Century
British History in the Long 18th Century Semianr
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Lysistrata’s Stone Phallus @lubottom.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
7 years later and I still whisper, “We’re disabled, Daniel, not werewolves” to myself like a sacred mantra whenever I see a non-disabled person discover ableism like it’s the latest hipster indie band.
Daniel Lawson @DanielLaw1998: Disabled parking should only be valid during business hours 9 to 5, Monday to Friday. 

I cannot see any reason why people with genuine disabilities would be out beyond these times.

Jennifer Lee Rosman @JenLRossman:
We’re disabled, Daniel, we’re not werewolves
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Royal Historical Society @royalhistsoc.org · 17/07/2025
How do history undergraduates routinely use generative AI in the classroom? In a new post on the RHS blog, David Clayton, Henrice Altink & Esther Wilson review their recent project: 'Piloting the responsible and effective use of generative AI in undergraduate History Teaching' bit.ly/40loJUG 1/2
Screen with text for RHS blog post: ‘Piloting the responsible and effective use of generative AI in undergraduate History Teaching’.
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 13/07/2025
This week! Creative consultation event on Welsh Government's Disabled People's Action Plan organised by Autistic UK and Disability Arts Cymru www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/my-life-my...
eventbrite.co.uk
My Life My Voice Creative Consultation
Eventbrite - Autistic UK presents My Life My Voice Creative Consultation - Thursday, July 17, 2025 | Friday, July 18, 2025 - Find event and ticket information.
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 13/07/2025
This week! Creative consultation event on Welsh Government's Disabled People's Action Plan organised by Autistic UK and Disability Arts Cymru www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/my-life-my...
eventbrite.co.uk
My Life My Voice Creative Consultation
Eventbrite - Autistic UK presents My Life My Voice Creative Consultation - Thursday, July 17, 2025 | Friday, July 18, 2025 - Find event and ticket information.
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OldRailwayAccidents @rwldproject.bsky.social · 05/07/2025
OUT FOR ONE MONTH! The updated Railway Work, Life & Death project database of accidents to British & Irish railway staff, 1855-1939. Exactly a month ago we added 69,000 records - & 2000 of you have downloaded, with 14.6k views: thank you! See:
railwayaccidents.port.ac.uk
69,000 railway company records released! - Railway Work, Life & Death
An introduction to our new data release - railway staff accident records produced by English & Welsh railway companies, 1855-1929.
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
Today! 👇
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
Next week I'll be speaking on the long history of disabled people's agency and resistance at the Institute of Historical Research. Everyone welcome! www.history.ac.uk/events/histo...
history.ac.uk
Histories of Resistance: Disability, Agency and Embodiment in the Long Eighteenth Century
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 30/05/2025
Welsh Government's Disabled People's Rights plan is now open for consultation. Follow the link to read the recommendations and have your say: www.gov.wales/draft-disabl...
gov.wales
Draft Disabled People’s Rights Plan | GOV.WALES
We want your views on the draft Disabled People’s Rights Plan.
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Dr Dave Hitchcock @davehitchcock.bsky.social · 07/05/2025
Here we go folks: hitchcockian.medium.com/this-is-the-...
hitchcockian.medium.com
This is the paper I gave to historians about “AI” last week.
I was at Queen Mary University in London last week at a charming conference that turned out to be mainly about modern British history. I…
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OldRailwayAccidents @rwldproject.bsky.social · 25/04/2025
Monday is International Workers Memorial Day - #IWMD #IWMD25 This is a really important day for the Railway Work, Life & Death project, given our focus. On Monday, every hour for 24 hours, we'll post details of past UK railway staff hurt by their work: follow #IWMDHourByHour
Line drawn image showing around 250 railwaymen, with a caption 'One hundred times as many railway men as are here shown were injured - 471 of them fatally - through accidents on the railways in the United Kingdom last year' for 1915.
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
We're hiring! Postdoctoral researcher post on the AMEND project exploring early modern neurodivergence, working with Dr Laura Seymour www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DMI655/p...
jobs.ac.uk
Postdoctoral Research Associate at Swansea University
Searching for an academic job? Explore this Postdoctoral Research Associate opening on jobs.ac.uk! Click to view more details and browse other academic jobs.
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Dr Laura Sangha @lsangha.bsky.social · 26/02/2025
ICYMI: the many-headed monster has just launched a new mini-series on Visual Culture in #EarlyModern England. Over the next month we celebrating the relaunch of British Printed Image to 1700 by publishing guest posts on the theme. 1st post tomorrow (Thurs)!🗃️ manyheadedmonster.com/2025/02/24/a...
manyheadedmonster.com
A new life for ‘British Printed Images to 1700’
Laura Sangha This post introduces our new mini-series Visual Culture in early modern England. Guest posts in the mini-series will be published over the course of the next month – we will add links …
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Claire L Jones @claireljones.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
Check out this blog post by Jess Gregory, my PhD student, on indecent advertisements in public toilets in the late c19th/early 20th: blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/the-history-...
blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk
The history of ‘indecent advertisements’ in public toilets - The National Archives blog
PhD student Jessica Gregory examines illicit advertising in the early 20th century.
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David Turner @profdavidturner.bsky.social · 27/01/2025
Thanks for sharing, I'm learning a lot from this series!
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