Holocaust Memorial Day- 70th Anniversary Vigil

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From John McArdle

For Immediate Release: 70th anniversary Holocaust Memorial Day Vigil to Remember the 1,300 ‪#‎disabled‬ people who died after being sent back to work by the Government’s austerity regime.

Holocaust survivors, descendants of Holocaust survivors and people from across the UK challenging the deaths by austerity from the disabled community will march arm in arm down to 10 Dowing Street, the Department for Work and pensions, Maximus HQ (1) and the British Parliament. The protest – vigil is organised by by Never Again Ever!(2), Disabled People Against Cuts (3) & The Black Triangle Campaign(4)

The large banners state ‘Arbeit Macht Frei – Work Will Set You Free – Attitude is Alive and Well’ (5) and ‘ATOS Kills – never forget the Holocaust Black Traingle – we say ‘Never Again Ever!’’. The vigil exists to challenge the austerity cuts and the 1,300 people who have died unjustly after…

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DPAC #SackFreud Protest- Watch Live

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Disabled People Against Cuts #Westmionster#FreudMustGo Demo LIVE BROADCAST NOW http://t.co/aEGUQtlKcjhttp://t.co/SyGNRuuenP

— Black Triangle (@blacktriangle1) October 20, 2014

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Confirmed – The FULL Impact of Cuts Disabled People Face

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Cross posted from here at the request of Sue Marsh.

“Since the coalition came to power, sick and disabled people have claimed we are being fundamentally harmed by the coalition welfare reforms. Not scroungers or skivers, but  people living with long term serious illnesses like me, or who live with physical disabilities. Adults AND children. Young and old. People with terminal conditions, people with kidney or heart failure, people waiting for transplants and even people in comas. None have been spared. The government repeatedly assure you they have.

The government have of course denied that they are putting an unreasonable share of austerity cuts on us. Repeatedly and often aggressively. This is how they resound to the UN of all people :

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2681313/The-Brazil-Nut-strikes-IDS-anger-former-Marxist-Raquel-Rolnik-attacks-benefit-cuts.html

Since 2011, almost every main voice involved in the services and systems that support sick and disabled people have argued that we must know how…

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DPAC Independent Living Tea Party

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DPAC is delighted to extend an open invitation to celebrate Independent Living Day with us on the 4th of July at the ‘Independent Living Tea Party ‘.

The party will begin at 2pm at the DWP, Caxton House in Tothill Street SW1. There will be fun & games, and entertainment; and of course, some civil disobedience.

We have come a long way since the demand for Independent Living was first made nearly 50 years ago. Then, as now, IL was our solution for how society supports disabled people to take our place as equals. For how society addresses inaccessible institutions, structures and process it created, which do more to disable people than their impairments ever could.

There are many strands of Independent Living, and all are under threat. Cuts to:

• Support funding – such Social Care, the ILF & Disabled Students Allowance;
• Education – in areas like the wholesale destruction of SEN Statements and the continued segregation of disabled…

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‘Look Down’- A Disabled Person’s Challenge To ‘Look Up’

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This is Gary Turk’s ‘Look Up.’

In just a couple of weeks, it’s gone absolutely viral. I was sent it yesterday and it did make me think, readers, BUT: Then I saw @BipolarBlogger’s challenge to it, which also has a very, very good point.

She posted hers yesterday. It hasn’t gone viral- yet. Will it, readers?

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Disability Horizons #DisabledAchievers Campaign

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Beyond The Barriers- Launch

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I saw this a little late, for which sincere apologies to Sue Marsh, who wants it shared far and wide.

Good morning.

The Spartacus team have been working for three years on research into ESA, WCAs, the Work Programme and employment for sick and disabled people.

Today, we launch Beyond the Barriers, the most comprehensive report to date on how the system currently fails, but more importantly what we need to do to improve it.

 

You can read the report 

HERE

You can read the press release

HERE 

 

Beyond the Barriers aims to start an enormous conversation about what should replace ESA. People will be taking part in it across the political spectrum, all around the internet.

 

As we launch, experts from the disability community will be giving evidence on the failures of ESA to the Work and Pensions Committee live on…

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New Spartacus Website!!!

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Posting by request of Sue Marsh.

We’re all really excited to announce the launch of the new Spartacus website!

http://www.spartacusnetwork.org.uk

You can still find all of our past work there with a few new additions

 

Stef Benstead has taken over the running of the site. 2 years of campaigning is like 412 effort years so huge thanks to Jane Young, the previous site director who produced and guided so much important work. 

 

The old address, http://wearespartacus.org.uk is now defunct but bear with us while we set up a redirect to the new address.

Stef is one of our lead researchers on ESA and has produced some seminal work already such as ESASOS, a report into how successfully Harington recommendations had been implemented and the Spartacus submission on ESA to the Work and Pensions Committee. 

Next week, Spartacus is on the march, so please watch twitter and Facebook extra carefully and if you want…

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Gang Of Girls Attack Learning Disabled Teen In Hastings

Police are appealing for witnesses after a teenager was attacked and pushed in front of a car by a group of girls in Hastings.

The victim, who has a mild learning difficulty, was walking in Rye Road near Hastings Academy at 3.05pm on Friday (28 February) when she was shoved into the road from behind by a girl.

A passing car had to swerve to avoid hitting the 15-year-old as a nearby group of about 15 girls cheered. One of the girls then walked up to the victim and punched her in the stomach. Glue was also thrown in her hair before she could walk away.

When she got home her mother called police.

PC Jodie Walter said: “This must have been a terrifying incident for the victim. What began as nasty verbal abuse became a violent assault that on another day could have seen her being knocked down and seriously hurt.

“I need to speak to anyone who saw any part of the incident or the group of girls before or after the attack. I particularly need to trace the driver of the car who swerved to avoid the victim. He may not have realised that the victim was being attacked at the time.

“We need the help of the public to identify those responsible so they can be punished before they target anyone else.”

Anyone with information should call 101 quoting serial 974 of 28/2, email 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk or call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Music And Poetry For The ATOS National Demos

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Readers, today there is a National Day of Demonstrations against ATOS.

I cannot participate in person, but I send out my best wishes to everyone who is participating, and I share this song in tribute to them all, and to everyone who has had negative experiences with ATOS.

I also take this chance to share some links to ATOS-related songs and speeches I’ve written in the past:

Danny Boy

Strange Fruit

One Day After Heartbreak

I Have A Dream For Disabled People

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