# Claudia Cockburn

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American-British disability activist (1933–1998)

Claudia Cockburn Born (1933-02-11)11 February 1933 New York City, US Died 25 June 1998(1998-06-25) (aged 65) London, England Occupation Activist Spouse Michael Flanders Children Laura Flanders Stephanie Flanders Parent(s) Claud Cockburn Hope Hale Davis Relatives Sarah Caudwell (paternal half-sister) Alexander Cockburn (paternal half-brother) Andrew Cockburn (paternal half-brother) Patrick Cockburn (paternal half-brother) Lydia Davis (maternal half-sister) Olivia Wilde (niece)

**Claudia Cockburn Flanders**, [OBE](/source/Officer_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire) (11 February 1933 – 25 June 1998) was an American-British disability activist who spent much of her working life in the United Kingdom.

Her parents were [Claud Cockburn](/source/Claud_Cockburn), a journalist, and [Hope Hale Davis](/source/Hope_Hale_Davis). She married singer-songwriter [Michael Flanders](/source/Michael_Flanders) in 1959.[1][2] Her stepmother, by her father's remarriage, was [Jean Ross](/source/Jean_Ross), the reported inspiration for [Christopher Isherwood](/source/Christopher_Isherwood)'s iconic character [Sally Bowles](/source/Sally_Bowles).[3] Through her father, she was the half-sister of mystery writer [Sarah Caudwell](/source/Sarah_Caudwell), Ross's daughter, Irish journalists [Alexander](/source/Alexander_Cockburn), [Andrew](/source/Andrew_Cockburn) and [Patrick Cockburn](/source/Patrick_Cockburn), and paternal aunt of actress [Olivia Wilde](/source/Olivia_Wilde) (née Cockburn), including Wilde's siblings. Through her mother, she was the half-sister of the American writer [Lydia Davis](/source/Lydia_Davis).

In 1987, Flanders formed Tripscope, an organisation to help disabled people with transportation difficulties.[4][5] She created the post of adviser on disability to the [National Bus Company (UK)](/source/National_Bus_Company_(UK)) in the 1970s and served for many years on the national [Joint Committee on Mobility for Disabled People](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joint_Committee_on_Mobility_for_Disabled_People&action=edit&redlink=1) and the [Department of Transport](/source/Department_of_Transport) Advisory Committee on Disability in the UK. She was awarded an [OBE](/source/Order_of_the_British_Empire) in 1981 for her services to disabled people.[6][7][8]

## Death

She died in London on 25 June 1998, aged 65. Her daughters are the journalists [Laura](/source/Laura_Flanders) and [Stephanie Flanders](/source/Stephanie_Flanders).[9]

In 1999, a special award for improved accessibility for UK buses operators was started in her memory under the UK Bus Awards. [10][11]

## See also

- [Hope Hale Davis](/source/Hope_Hale_Davis)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Krebs, Albin (16 April 1975). ["Michael Flanders Is Dead at 53; Humorist-Star of 'Drop of a Hat'"](https://www.nytimes.com/1975/04/16/archives/michael-flanders-is-dead-at-53-humoriststar-of-drop-of-a-hat.html). *The New York Times*. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0362-4331](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). Retrieved 9 August 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Cadwalladr, Carole (25 July 2009). ["The interview: Stephanie Flanders"](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/jul/26/stephanie-flanders-interview). *The Observer*. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0029-7712](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0029-7712). Retrieved 9 August 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Garebian_3-0)** Garebian, Keith (2011). [*The Making of Cabaret*](https://books.google.com/books?id=PuD3p2IGW5oC). Oxford: [Oxford University Press](/source/Oxford_University_Press). p. 4. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0199732500](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0199732500).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Grice, Elizabeth (17 December 2002). ["'I'll give as good as I get'"](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/3587226/Ill-give-as-good-as-I-get.html). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0307-1235](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0307-1235). Retrieved 9 August 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [Obituary](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-claudia-flanders-1173922.html), Independent.co.uk; accessed 25 March 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [""Transport without Handicap": DOT Report (Hansard)"](https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1982/may/26/transport-without-handicap-dot-report). *api.parliament.uk*. 26 May 1982. Retrieved 9 August 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Official Public Record"](https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/49008/supplement/10). *The London Gazette*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["House of Commons Hansard Debates for 11 Feb 1994"](https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199394/cmhansrd/1994-02-11/Writtens-1.html). *publications.parliament.uk*. Retrieved 9 August 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Turner, Janice (8 February 2014). ["Stephanie Flanders: she's got the power"](https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/stephanie-flanders-shes-got-the-power-lkdfwc7nbnw). *[The Times](/source/The_Times)*. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0140-0460](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0140-0460). Retrieved 9 August 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["UK Bus Awards | Home of the UK Bus Awards"](https://web.archive.org/web/20111004054107/http://www.ukbusawards.org.uk/content/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=161%3Aaccessibility-1999&catid=15%3Aaccessibility&Itemid=27). Archived from [the original](http://www.ukbusawards.org.uk/content/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=161%3Aaccessibility-1999&catid=15%3Aaccessibility&Itemid=27) on 2011-10-04.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Accessibility - The Claudia Flanders Memorial Award"](http://www.ukbusawards.org.uk/content/index.php/events-06/54-year-11-2006/482-accessibility-2008). *www.ukbusawards.org.uk*. Retrieved 9 August 2019.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Claudia Cockburn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudia_Cockburn) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudia_Cockburn?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.