Margaret Blackwood (activist)

Margaret Blackwood m. McGrath MBE (1 October 1924 – 28 January 1994) was a Scottish activist and founder of Disability Income Group Scotland.

Margaret Blackwood
Born(1924-10-01)1 October 1924
Dundee, Scotland
DiedJanuary 28, 1994(1994-01-28) (aged 69)
Edinburgh, Scotland
Known forFounder of Disability Income Group Scotland.

Biography

She was born Catherine Margaret Blackwood in Dundee and was the daughter of Beatrice Marie Orr and George Blackwood, an actuary. She was a pupil at St Margaret's School, Edinburgh.[1] In 1978 she married fellow disability rights activist Charles McGrath. Margaret Blackwood was a campaigner for people with mental or physical disabilities and the founder of the Margaret Blackwood Housing Association (MBHA).[2] The first home opened in Dundee in 1976. As of 2021, the association is known as Blackwood Homes and Care.

Margaret was awarded an honorary doctorate from Aberdeen University and in 1970[3] an MBE for her dedication to improving the lives of disabled people.[4] She died in Edinburgh on 28 January 1994.[1]

Activism

Blackwood campaigned for people with mental or physical disabilities to have the same rights, voice and opportunities as the able-bodied. She lobbied Scottish MPs, organised a March on Wheels protest along Princes Street, Edinburgh, and addressed a rally in Trafalgar Square, London. The campaign was successful; in 1970 the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act, which introduced financial benefits for disabled people including mobility and attendance allowance, was passed.[2]

References
  1. The new biographical dictionary of Scottish women. Ewan, Elizabeth. Edinburgh. p. 43. ISBN 978-1-4744-3629-8. OCLC 1057237368.CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. "Margaret Blackwood". wealothianwomensforum.org.uk. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
  3. "The London Gazette, Supplement 44999, Page 13".
  4. "Dr Margaret Blackwood - Blackwood". www.blackwoodgroup.org.uk. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
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