Lord Morris of Manchester, a champion for the rights of those with disabilities, died in August at the age of 84. As Alf Morris, he served as MP for Manchester Wythenshawe for more than thirty years and was appointed the first Minister for the Disabled in 1974. He became a Labour peer in 1997.
His many contributions to the cause of disability rights included introducing the blue badge parking scheme for disabled drivers, which is still widely used today, and campaigning to improve the lives of injured service personnel.
However, Alf Morris will perhaps best be remembered for introducing the groundbreaking Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act (1970), which was the first legislation of its kind worldwide to enshrine in law equal opportunities for those with disabilities.
