Professor Mike Oliver was born on 3 February 1945. He died on 3 March 2019, aged 74.
He was known as a passionate disability scholar and activist who was credited with coining the term 'social model' He was in the Department of Social Sciences and Law, part of the School of Humanities at the time and subsequently was a Visiting Professor until early 2014.
Since learning of the news of Professor Oliver's death we have received many tributes, which we want to share:
I am saddened to hear the death of such an influential member of the
disabled community. The social model of disability was a vital part of how
disabled students, including me, were able to access higher education. Society
still has a long way to go to become inclusive and accessible but the
University of Greenwich *AccessAbility and STAART scheme is a vital step in the
right direction and we will continue Mike Oliver's legacy, with enabling
disabled and dyslexic students access to Higher Education.
May he rest in power.
Abi, *AccessAbility Ambassador & Disabled Students' Officer 2018/9
I would like to thank him for inspiring my MA
Dissertation; of which without the social model theory, it would have been a
very bleak piece of work indeed.
Louise, *AccessAbility Graduate and Study Skills Tutor.
I had the pleasure of meeting Prof Mike Oliver in 1993 when I had
recently graduated from Manchester Poly with a Psychology degree. Armed with my
new knowledge of the social model and keen to meet one of the rock stars of
disability studies I arranged to get the train down to Greenwich to meet him to
talk to him about doctoral research. I was greeted by Prof Oliver in his office
and remember taking a seat which was low to the ground. This meant that he
towered above me in his wheelchair and I recall thinking that this was a minor
social model in practice moment. We chatted for an hour. Just before I left he
informed me 'You know, psychology will only exist as a sub-discipline of
sociology, if that'. Hilarious. But true.
Dan Goodley Professor of Disability Studies
and Education. University of Sheffield
Mike was responsible for making me
the activist and academic I am today, he introduced me to the social model of
disability as a young postgraduate student and it was eye-opening. One story from his time at Kent was
that he always used to call Faculty meetings in inaccessible rooms, to bring
home the point very succinctly when everyone was waiting around for him to turn
up. He was the first academic I encountered that really 'put his money where
his mouth was' and inspired me: until that point I thought you could be an
activist OR an academic, and he showed me you had to be both.
Kirstein Rummery, Professor of Social Policy,
University of Stirling
I hope to add some lines to preserve
the memory of this formidable campaigner and true thinker. I would like
to make a tribute with two personal notes.
As many others worldwide, his work
inspired me particularly to use his method as a tool to understand
organisational process of change and resistance, and used his approach to adapt
institutionalisation theory into the formation of social norms in HE
organisations. I do also apply his model to develop an understanding of the
impact of globalisation on the model framework. Without him, perhaps I would
have not explored those areas of enquiry and work.
I also had the privilege to entice
him to come back to his Alma Mater (University of Kent) after so many years, to
deliver a Master's Lecture for the University 50th anniversary (2015). Sadly, it was not
possible to have him that year. The lecture however took place in 2018, by the
stamina of disabled students, disability officers and staff in the university. It was a great success and a video was made following the
event, which perhaps further and expand his legacy.
I would like to add that Prof
Oliver's doctoral thesis is in the archive of the Templeman Library at Kent.
Dr Andres Velarde, University of Kent
I remember Mike well when I first
started out as a student of the university many, many moons ago. He was a
truly inspirational person and a champion for disability issues. Always
so kind and willing to help where he could. I have very fond memories of
him. May he rest in peace.
Marisa, Faculty of Education and Health, University of Greenwich
Professor Mike Oliver taught me as an undergraduate, in the mid-1990s.
Later he, in conjunction with Dr Ross Coomber, gave me the chance to do my PhD,
which was looking at the medicinal use of cannabis and chronically ill people.
As well as being an academic of global reputation, and an activist, Mike was
also a very patient person, generous with his time and hugely inspiring. That
combination of global reputation and down-to-Earthness really encouraged me to
believe that academia could be a career for myself. Mike will be greatly
missed.
Dr. Craig Morris School of Humanities and Social
Sciences, University of Greenwich.
When I was a lecturer at the University
of Kent (1986-98) and worked on the closure of large institutions in
the South East Thames area, Mike Oliver was very supportive and
instrumental in our thinking. I hope there are many with his values to follow
in this corporate world we live in.
Sheila Barrett, Programme Leader, BA Business Psychology, University of Greenwich
I am grateful and thankful for the social
model of disability. Barriers do still exist but the environment is more
accessibility. Disability and the barriers within – societal and attitudinal –
need to be addressed for a fairer society. I am currently writing my
dissertation on disability and advertising. The work of Professor Oliver is
underpinning my research.
Tope Onanuga, BA Advertising and Marketing
Communications, University of Greenwich
The social model of disability is (I hope) intrinsic in all my work now. It's been a big part of my working life for
the last nearly 20 years since I first came across this radical idea. It's emancipatory in approach and makes it
the problem of all of us to identify and break down barriers to life and
learning for disabled people. Thanks to
Mike Oliver for this.
Lucy Smith, Student Wellbeing Coordinator (disability & dyslexia), University of Greenwich
This man was the reason why I now, as a disabled person, can live in a world where I am accepted as more than
just a disabled person.
Nu McAdam, BA Animation, University of Greenwich
I was fortunate to have been taught
by Mike Oliver as a sociology undergraduate, here at the University of
Greenwich. Being taught disability studies changed my career path entirely – I
was studying to become an archivist. I have therefore been working in
disability support for over 20 years at the university in various roles. Without
Mike, our *AccessAbility Ambassadors and STAART initiative would not have
happened. We like to think that we are carrying on Mike's work by making
university more accessible for disabled students and staff.
Dr. Melanie Thorley, *AccessAbility and STAART Lead, University of Greenwich
With thanks to Dr Melanie Thorley for collating these tributes.