ABOUT US
Our History
DPAC is about disabled people and their allies. DPAC is UK based but we know that disabled people in other countries are suffering from austerity cuts and a lack of fundamental rights. We welcome all to join us in fighting for justice and human rights for all disabled people.
Disabled people should not be the scapegoats for the financial mistakes of governments, should not be constantly told that there is no money to support them by millionaire politicians. We will not tolerate further erosion of our living conditions or our human rights, nor will we sit quietly while they try to take our rights away.
DPAC was formed by a group of disabled people after the 3rd October 2010 mass protests against cuts in Birmingham, England. The 3rd October saw the first mass protest against the austerity cuts and their impact on disabled people-It was led by disabled people under the name of The Disabled Peoples’ Protest.
DPAC co-founders are the original Disabled Peoples’ Protest organisers. Leading coordinator Linda Burnip was instrumental in getting disabled peoples’ voices heard and disabled people represented at the protest, along with, Sam Brackenbury, Bob Williams- Finlay, Tina Hogg, Debbie Jolly, Eleanor Lisney, Pete Millington, Dave Lupton, and most important of all: all those that marched in the pouring rain on October the 3rd, all those that joined the virtual protest, and all those that supported us with email campaigns and messages when the march was threatened: all made DPAC a reality.
DPAC is for everyone who believes that disabled people should have full human rights and equality. It is for everyone that refuses to accept that any country can destroy the lives of people just because they are or become disabled or have chronic health issues. It is for everyone against government austerity measures which target the poor while leaving the wealthy unscathed. It is for everyone who refuses to stay silent about the injustices delivered by wealthy politicians on ordinary people and their lives.
DPAC does not necessarily agree with comments or remarks posted by other parties and will continue to publish them unless they contain any comments that are deemed offensive, inappropriate or include information that might be viewed as legally harmful.
Disabled People Still Left Wanting After a Decade of Fighting for their Rights
Many Campaigners and Grassroots DPO's have spent over a decade fighting for disabled peoples rights and are still are ignored by society, and with very little gained. They are vilified and degraded, mocked ,subjected to hatred which has been whipped up by their government and media and enacted daily by society which deems them lazy and not worthy of the support they need to live independently in our communities. Even the UN castigated the current Government and still nothing has changed to improve their lot.
Disabled people have lobbied ministers, written extensive reports, marched on the streets to raise awareness and died only to be continuously ignored or offered tokenism to pacify them. Unions do the same. What will it take to be heard and for something concrete to happen to enable them to participate in society like any other citizen without disabilities. Two MP's worth mentioning for their stalwart support are John McDonnell and Debbie Abrahams who have made the right noises to raise awareness of their suffering at the hands of the DWP within parliament, but that isn't enough. Disabled people are involved in politics and their workplaces yet their representatives pay them lip service even when we are asked to contribute they use us to design policies that never go far enough to make a real difference to our lives.
Its time this was called out as disabled people and groups cling on to hope for real changes with a change of government, which would help but always stop short of real impact, but it wont fix the real problems many face daily and the barriers they face because society isn't making sure the infrastructure is in place to enable it.
Why cant buildings be made accessible or public transport be accessible, or homes be adapted as standard rule of thumb, let alone enough of them being built to meet demand. Why are health services patronising or worse interfering and telling us what we need rather than the other way round , or how we have to behave and comply to get state support for those who cannot work.
More Important why are we not demanding this!
Other European countries can do it so why cant the UK Government? Yes it would cost lots of money but surely when we can find the magic money tree to fund virtually anything during the current pandemic, which incidentally many disabled lives were lost then we have no excuse whatsoever in not making the lives of all UK citizens better, but in particular disabled lives would be vastly improved including the many disabled people who work too. Many Scandinavian countries are a good example for how they care,but while they stand out, there is no reason that disabled people living in the UK cannot demand better, but they wont be able to achieve it by without our input and not the usual charities who speak at us and down to us who are often seen by government to speak for us which they don't more often than not.
Disabled people feel isolated from rest of society, that has been more apparent during the Pandemic, where many struggled to access services needed, where neighbours never think about their disabled neighbours and checking to see if they are ok or need anything, where GP and hospital appointments were cancelled, where PPE was denied to carers and PA's and purchased at own cost, where shopping slots were denied to many, and when their lives were downgraded by government policy to DNR's (Do Not Resuscitate) be placed on medical records without their knowledge and many lived in fear of contracting Covid which has exacerbated mental health problems and many disabled people lost their jobs.
Have we really become a society where life itself is based on cost or worth? We most certainly are a more divided society where its survival of the fittest and to hell with everybody else? We should not let this define us, but we should be demanding change and that can only happen if we demand it, and changing the mindset of society towards each other.
Have we really lost all humanity, I don't believe we have but it surely is in rapid decline, and it isn't just up to us to demand it , it is also down to elected representatives to demand it too and ensure it is enforced throughout society.
'Nothing About Us Without Us' isn't just a paraphrase, it should mean we are listened too, not patronised and silenced.
First published by blueannoyed June 2021 Reproduced with Permission.