• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About DNS
  • Subscribe to DNS
  • Advertise with DNS
  • Support DNS
  • Contact DNS

Disability News Service

the country's only news agency specialising in disability issues

  • Home
  • Independent Living
    • Arts, Culture and Sport
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Employment
    • Housing
    • Transport
  • Activism & Campaigning
  • Benefits & Poverty
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
You are here: Home / News Archive / COMMENT: The Atos cover-up continues

COMMENT: The Atos cover-up continues

By guest on 6th September 2012 Category: News Archive

Listen

On Tuesday, I wrote about how myself and my fellow disabled journalist Paul Carter had taken a black marker pen to the prominent Atos logos on our London 2012 media accreditation.

As I wrote then, it was a small, but satisfying, gesture of solidarity with those disabled people who have been at the receiving end of the recklessness of Atos and its band of roving “healthcare professionals” who carry out “fitness for work” tests on behalf of the government.

But it seems Paul and I did not get there first. As early as last week, a disabled activist had a similar idea, and came up with the Twitter hashtag #coverupATOS to spread the word. His original message has now been retweeted 70 times.

In fact, these disabled activists are prepared to do much more than just ink out the Atos logo on our own media accreditation.

The followers of #coverupATOS have been taking white stickers – sometimes with the hashtag written on them – and placing them wherever they find an Atos logo on the Olympic Park.

This picture appears to show one such success, on the London 2012 “megastore”, although I haven’t yet been able to verify it, and the sticker was apparently removed soon afterwards.

One disabled activist – who has asked for his name not to be used – managed to cover up a couple of Atos logos around the Olympic Park, but when he tried the same trick in the Olympic Stadium, he was followed back to his seat by a member of the London 2012 security team, and escorted from the park. Fortunately, he only missed the last hour of the athletics session he was attending with his family.

But some disabled Twitter activists are apparently already following suit, and it will be fascinating to see how this develops over the last five days of the games, and particularly how vigilant the London 2012 organising committee LOCOG – and its security staff – will be in policing the pristine clarity of its sponsor’s logos.

And other disabled activists have come up with their own ways of protesting against Atos on the Olympic Park. The film-maker Liz Crow wore an armband bearing the message “Atos kills disabled people” when she visited the games this week.

PS For those questioning why any gesture against Atos is appropriate – rather than focusing solely on the government, which of course is ultimately responsible for the work capability assessment – here is what I wrote earlier this week:

For me, it is the sheer reckless abandon with which they have performed their duties, not even bothering to find accessible offices in which to carry out those assessments, or to train their assessors properly, seemingly doing everything they possibly can to find as many disabled and ill people as they can “fit for work” and so depriving them of vital financial support. The assessments, as carried out by Atos, are putting thousands of sick and disabled people under terrible, unnecessary strain, forcing them further into poverty, and are even responsible for some deaths – we will never know how many – including people driven by despair to suicide. “Just following orders” has never, ever, been an acceptable excuse, particularly for a company making such huge profits out of disabled people’s misery.

Share this post:

Share on X (Twitter)Share on FacebookShare on WhatsAppShare on RedditShare on LinkedIn
A photograph shows an audience raising their hands in a BSL sign. The words say: 'BSL Conference 2025. The future starts with us. Leeds 17-18 July. Be part of shaping the future of Deaf cultures and identities. Get 10% off with BDA10'

Related

‘Muddled’ blue badge reforms ‘are to blame for renewal delays’
6th February 2015
UN debate will be reminder of true inclusive education
6th February 2015
IDS breaks pledge on PIP waiting-times, as tens of thousands still queue for months
30th January 2015

Primary Sidebar

On the left of the image are multiple heads of different colours - white, aqua, red, light brown, and dark green - all grouped together, then the words ‘Campaign for Disability Justice. Sign up to support. #OpportunitySecurityRespect’
A photograph shows an audience raising their hands in a BSL sign. The words say: 'BSL Conference 2025. The future starts with us. Leeds 17-18 July. Be part of shaping the future of Deaf cultures and identities. Get 10% off with BDA10'

Access

Latest Stories

Government ignores warnings of new DWP deaths, and UN intervention, as MPs pass universal credit cuts bill

Urgent letter from UN to Labour government warns: We think your cuts continue Tory attack on disability rights

Race against time to secure DWP deaths evidence before parliament passes new benefit cuts bill

‘Complete shift in thinking’ needed on education of disabled children, says ALLFIE

Minister ignored concerns from disabled advisers, months before publishing cuts bill

Frustration after government only issues partial ban on new floating bus stops

Report suggests five big ideas that could transform disabled people’s mobility

My new book shows exactly why we need the disability movement, says disabled author

‘Disastrous’ cuts bill that leaves legacy of distrust and distress ‘must be dropped’

Four disabled Labour MPs stand up to government over cuts to disability benefits

Advice and Information

Readspeaker
A photograph shows an audience raising their hands in a BSL sign. The words say: 'BSL Conference 2025. The future starts with us. Leeds 17-18 July. Be part of shaping the future of Deaf cultures and identities. Get 10% off with BDA10'

Footer

The International Standard Serial Number for Disability News Service is: ISSN 2398-8924

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site map
  • Bluesky
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Threads
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2025 Disability News Service

Site development by A Bright Clear Web