The week before last (Sunday, May 11th 2008) I was fortunate to go to the The Holocaust Centre, in north Nottinghamshire, to see the first dedication of a memorial to the Deaf and disabled people killed in the Holocaust.  This was an important and moving event, with speakers from diverse backgrounds.  Liz Crow, director and producer of ‘Roaring Girl’ films, talked about the stories and places uncovered in her work to document the T4 disability extermination programme, with viseral images from the pre-war years, and those from sites in the present day.  Another speaker was 85 year old Hans Cohn, MBE, who talked about his experience of being one of the very few blind German Jewish children who survived the Holocaust by escaping to the UK.  Other speakers included Ricki Westbury, Director of Disability Access Services, who discussed the impact of the Holocaust on Deaf culture, another hidden history.  It is difficult to express the nature of the day, it was an important act of rememberence, but also recognised contemporary genocide and the struggles disabled people face the world over.  As such, this was a day about the past present and future. 

Run in partnership with the Nottinghamshire Disabled People’s movement, the day also focused on the Centres forthcoming educational and accessible developments.  I’d like to congratulate organiser Heather Hollins, the Holocaust Centre, the NDPM and all others involved for their hard work in making this day so poignent and powerful.  I look forward to seeing the development of the Holocaust Centre, the installations documenting the T4 programme and the forthcoming permanent memorial at the Centre currently being developed by the Pioneers Young Disabled People’s Forum.  For more information about the Holocaust Centre and their work go to: http://www.holocaustcentre.net.