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Taking it to the streets
Disabled people have willingly let things slip. It’s time, says former activist Mandy Redvers Rowe to shake off complacency, relight the torch of action, march the streets of protest and wear again the T-shirt of pride
There was a
time, some years ago, before the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA),
when I felt compelled to campaign for “disability rights”. Yes, direct
action and everything. Once I sat down and stopped traffic to complain
about the lack of accessible public transport, raged publicly against
ITV’s charity Telethon, the gut- churning media fest that soon after
got taken off air. And was marching and shouting “Rights Not Charity”
and “Piss On Pity”.
But I don’t do this any more, none of us do. No, because we were silenced by the promise of the new inclusive age. The golden post DDA period when all of us would be equal.
Fifteen years later, and there’s not a bit of glitter in sight. Okay, so it was accepted that a period of re-adjustment would be needed, a bit of giving and taking required, a change of attitude made on both sides, And I bought into all of it – with a passion. Worked hard to fit in, to educate with a smile, tried not to be hard-line or difficult, but accepted unpleasant changes for the sake of a better future.
So I remained calm during the closing of the BBC Disability Programmes Unit, the shutting down of the National Disability Arts Forum, London Disability Arts Forum, Disability Arts in London, and waited for their new incarnations. You know, those large inclusive arts organisations, an increase in employment for disabled presenters and programme makers, and new magazines with a clear remit for disability.
Not only have they not appeared, but recently, I’ve become aware of a worrying reversal.
Looking for work, and making numerous unsuccessful applications, I’m now convinced that “Equal Opportunities” statements are not there to promote a modern inclusive work force, but merely a stamp of compliance. Many websites are not accessible, phones, DVDs and digiboxes are only accessible with add-on technology. And there’s a growing acceptance that disability is a reasonable reason to request an assisted suicide…and so on and so on…
It seems to me that in this time of financial recession, disabled people and those “rights” we fought for, are going to feel the sharp end of the knife. That now, not only are potential cuts in our benefits imminent, but cuts in standard access arrangements that we thought were now an established practice, may also be conveniently and quietly made.
So, we mustn’t sit on our laurels any longer. We must be aware that once again our independence and equality of opportunity are under threat. We mustn’t let things go, we must shout and scream and stop them, and if need be, get out those old T-shirts and return to the streets with our banners and our songs.
Taking it to the streets
Anything planned?
What can I do?
Taking it to the streets
I am a trustee of a local ' user led' 'organisation of disabled people' that provide services to disabled people and are at this time of writing positioning themselves to become a centre for independent living.
We recieve £500,000 pounds per year funding, most of this coming from the council.
The organisation states in it's governing document that "the social model of disability underpins all of the work at the organisation" and yet no one, from the chief officer, through all of her staff and down to the volunteers has a great deal of understanding about what the social model is or the implications of this for disabled people.
Although the majority of the trustees at the Federation consisting of disabled people, they have received no disability equality training and have consistently argued with me when I mention the social model of disability to the point where I have now been positioned as "a preacher". Another has said "its a waste of time learning about the social model anyway because it is on its way out"!
I also have doubts, considering the above, whether the social model of disability is translated into any of the practices at the organisation. Two members of staff from 'the disability advice centre', which operates within the organisation have said to me that the social model of disability is not relevant to the organisation's advice centre because it is all about impairments, "...you need an impairment to get benefits and to get direct payments".
The counselling service at the organisation claim that “All counsellors...share a fundamental philosophy with the social model of disability” and yet when i spoke to the head of the counselling service, who trains all of the other councillors, she had no idea what the social model was.
They have received tens of thousands of pounds to develop an access guide website which lists around 50 venues within our city that are accessible to disabled people but voice no concerns about the many venues that ignore their responsibilities under the DDA 1995.
When I have brought up the issue about campaigning, the chief officer has said that we are not the campaigning organisation and never will be because this will put us in conflict with our funders.
Paying Lip service to the social model of disability in order to secure funding, while at the same time doing very little to improve the lives of disabled people, is an Insult to the struggles of the movement.
I also worry that without politically aware individual disabled people within such grassroots organisations then it not only leads to the "neutralisation of disability politics" but could lead to further weakening or even the demise of the disabled People's movement.
Jeff