• 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 / Disabled people’s protest ‘will send vital message to government’

Disabled people’s protest ‘will send vital message to government’

By guest on 25th February 2011 Category: News Archive

Listen

Disabled people and their organisations are hoping to send a critical message to the government with a major protest against its programme of spending cuts and welfare reforms.

The day of action on Wednesday 11 May will feature a rally at Methodist Central Hall, near the Houses of Parliament, and a lobby of MPs, while there is also likely to be a march.

The action is being led by the UK Disabled People’s Council (UKDPC), with backing from other disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) including the National Centre for Independent Living, the Alliance for Inclusive Education and Disabled People Against Cuts.

But the protest is also being backed by members of the Disability Charities Consortium –such as Mencap, Mind and Scope – and is believed to be the first time DPOs and non-user-led charities have come together for such an action.

Julie Newman, UKDPC’s acting chair, said it was “absolutely critical” that large numbers of disabled people attended “to show that disabled people across the board are being affected”.

She said the cuts and reforms would breach the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and could also breach the new Equality Act.

Newman said there was an urgent need for “meaningful dialogue” with the government, and added: “All of the public sector cuts and the proposed benefits changes, welfare reforms and changes to education affect disabled people disproportionately. That is the bit that the government don’t get. This is about disabled people’s lives.”

She said the decision to work closely with the big disability charities was “not something we do lightly”, but that there had been a better relationship since they began working together on monitoring implementation of the UN convention.

While there were still major differences between them, she said, the impact of the government’s polices was “so extensive” that “for this particular period of time we are putting those points of disagreement to one side”.

Alice Maynard, chair of Scope and herself a leading disabled campaigner, said it was “very important” that large numbers of disabled people attended the protest, although she warned that cuts to care packages would have an impact on many people’s capacity to attend.

She said: “We are hoping there will be a big turnout and that the government will realise there is a strength of feeling about this and it is not a bunch of ‘whinging scroungers’.”

She also welcomed the better relationship between DPOs and the big charities. “We have been edging closer towards something that allows us to work together for some time. I think that has got to be helpful.”

But she warned that the big charities would have to be “mindful of their place” and “recognise where we come from” and ensure they do not “squash” disabled people and their organisations.

23 February 2011

Share this post:

Share on TwitterShare on FacebookShare on WhatsAppShare on Reddit

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

Access

Latest Stories

Government ‘bans’ thousands of disabled fans from sporting test events

Rail companies apologise after Prince Philip ‘mark of respect’ leaves websites inaccessible

Government rejects chance to promise inquiry into COVID deaths of disabled people

‘Concerning silence’ from government over disability ambassador roles

Atos, Capita and Maximus ‘send almost no safeguarding referrals to councils’

Campaign calls for supermarkets to scrap delivery charges

Apple ‘forced by EHRC to back down in face mask discrimination row’

DWP staff admit inflicting ‘psychological harm’ on claimants during coalition years

Government ‘treats disabled people with contempt’ by handing £2.4 million to charities

Legal threat to PM over lack of BSL interpreter in £2.6 million briefing room

Advice and Information

DWP: The case for the prosecution

Readspeaker

Footer

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

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site map
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2021 Disability News Service

Site development by A Bright Clear Web