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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to mention "HARDEST HIT" disability demo in London today. (Wed)

82 replies

ScousyFogarty · 11/05/2011 10:51

HARDEST HIT demo or lobby at Parliament today (wed 11th) supported by
all the relevant charities I am told.

I was suprised it was not mentioned on the early news.

I think it is reasonable to assume disabled people will be HARDEST HIT by welfare reforms. They are right to fight back

Disability is not "very sexy" in news terms so it may not get the publicity
it deserves.

I gather they intend lobbying MPs and parliament. If I lived down South; I would have gone as an observer.

Good luck to them anyway. Anybody making the trip to parliament?

I would like to know what radio stations or TV are publicising it....

OP posts:
MmeLindt · 11/05/2011 15:03

on BBC website now

MintyMoo · 11/05/2011 15:07

About time, the lack of publicity for this is shocking.

Twitter has got some nasty comments now, I saw one earlier along the lines of 'why do disabled people expect stuff for free' and 'you get mobility scooters on the NHS, the best parking spaces and big bogs. what now?'

Hopefully there'll be more interest on the 6 o'clock news and 10 o'clock news as more people realise it's happened.

Original poster
ScousyFogarty · 11/05/2011 15:18

Publicity.....the demo was on lunchtime ITV and BBC news today (wed)

But there was very little pre-publicity.

It is an important issue; and it must have taken a lot of organising.

Its not only the money that is being lost. It is also a great deal of worry and anxiety which is being caused to vulnerable people. Its well below the belt ....

OP posts:
MintyMoo · 11/05/2011 16:59

It makes me feel sick to the core. If we can't protect the most vulnerable people in our society... :(

It has had an extraordinary lack of pre publicity, especially compared to the student protests etc.

I suppose the 'if they can march they can work. scroungers' type of publicity would be worse though, it just ignites the right wing tabloids in to a frenzy.

I would love a job. If only an employer would love to hire me!

aliceliddell · 11/05/2011 18:00

Oh, yes, because there are thousands of employers desperate to adapt their workplaces for blind/deaf/wheelchair users. And all those thousands of jobs vacant. Loads of jobs which involve travelling a couple of hours on accessible transport and holding a placard while chanting a slogan until you're tired then go home. Just when you feel able to do it, like.

madhairday · 11/05/2011 18:12

Some of the comments flying around make me feel physically sick :(

I'm so in awe of those who went today, it must have been an incredibly difficult day for so many of them, good on them.

I only found out about it this morning and I do go on disability forums etc. BBC news had a small segment about it on the one o clock news, almost like one of those afterthoughts - not in the main headlines even Hmm

MintyMoo · 11/05/2011 18:21

Just watched BBC 6 o'clock news, longer report but still not mentioned on the headlines Hmm

Of course Maria Miller was quoted saying 'oh but it's wrong because more DLA claimants are claiming for alcoholism than for being blind'

And one lady they interviewed who is blind has lost the access to work scheme. The access to work scheme previously paid for her specialist software at work to save her employer the cost. Now she has to pay.

CFSKate · 11/05/2011 18:28

I would have liked to have gone but I am too ill. We are damned either way, if we go to the demo we are told we are well enough to work, never mind the price we may pay later for the effort of going, and if we don't go to the demo, no-one hears our voices. For disabled people these cuts are terrifying, and I read in this article that jobcentre staff are now being given advice on how to deal with disabled people who become suicidal as a result!

www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/may/08/jobcentre-staff-guidelines-suicide-threats

The comments are worth reading too.

MintyMoo · 11/05/2011 18:32

I saw that before, shocking :(

MintyMoo · 11/05/2011 18:36

"Around 7 million people of working age live with a disability. The 3.2 million covers not only people who are too sick to do any work at all, but those who, due to their conditions, are totally unemployable. People who cannot keep to any kind of timetable due to flaring-up of symptoms, people who need 15 lengthly toilet breaks a day, people who need weeks off sick at no notice whatsoever etc etc. If all jobs where such an arrangement were possible offered the choice to work from home it might help a little, but very few of them do. Knowing that there is no chance of keeping up with JobCentre appointments let alone getting a job, ever, thus sanctions, thus loss of income, thus probable homelessness is pretty scary, and that's what disabled claimants are going through right now. Being patronising does not change the facts.

Ugh, this argument is getting so boring now"

I think I just fell in love with whoever posted that :)

Yukana · 11/05/2011 19:54

Am reading this and watching what's going on with the protest with interest. It's sickening that people just don't care. What is funny about people with disabilities? It's not. They can only laugh because they aren't in a position to know what it's like.

I don't have a physical disability, I have multiple mental health issues but nevertheless - seeing the lack of care on this issue makes me disgusted and angry.

There needs to be more help for those who are disabled, and carers of those people.

Did anyone watch the video on the Guardian site? I laughed at the woman in the Atos building who looked horrified when she saw the protesters, because it's easier for them to not care when they don't see the people they are wronging in front of them.

Sorry, bit of a rant. Blush

southeastastra · 11/05/2011 19:56

the cuts are appalling, wtf is this government trying to prove!!

makes me ashamed to be british.

MintyMoo · 11/05/2011 23:02

The lack of care over this issue has scared me too.

Someone commented on the indy website that in ancient sparta disabled people would have been killed at birth and that we should be grateful we weren't and put up with it...

Words fail me.

southeastastra · 12/05/2011 09:10

wtf? on the independent website? surely they would take that down?

aliceliddell · 12/05/2011 09:30

Re: the gittish comments being made about us cripplesscroungers: Disability can happen to anyone. Some people believe in karma. Just saying...

Glitterknickaz · 12/05/2011 09:39

I so wanted to go yesterday but had nobody to look after the kids. See... having kids with disabilities makes childcare somewhat awkward....

I don't know why this is getting so little support. Maybe fear, maybe ignorance? It's terrifying though that the majority of people are silently condoning the government's attacks on the most vulnerable in society.

Maria Millar, the Minister Against the Disabled behaved utterly shamefully justifying the cuts on the basis that a minority of drug and alcohol abusers are in receipt of DLA.

I hope all those who feel "it doesn't affect me, why should I bother" never end up in a position where it DOES affect them only to find the government has scrapped all support...

MintyMoo · 12/05/2011 10:10

It got a lot of people responding angrily to what they'd said, it was still up last night, whether it's since been taken down I don't know. Quite a few comments about how disabled people are left to die in other countries so we should shut up and be grateful there's an NHS... lots of people responded with 'go back to the Daily Mail' comments.

It's annoyed me how few people seem to have noticed, I didn't see it mentioned on the 10pm news, several papers haven't even reported that it happened. Awful. It was on the 6pm news but loads of people will watch the 10 news at their main news as they're either still at work/cooking the tea/let the DCs choose the programmes at that hour etc.

I also wanted to go but had a flare and couldn't leave the house :(

MintyMoo · 12/05/2011 10:44

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/disabled-in-benefits-cuts-protest-2282260.html

this is the article. can't find the offensive comment, my browser is playing up

NoelEdmondshair · 12/05/2011 11:01

I read the Guardian blog and was saddened and angered about the young man with Downs Syndrome who had to give up his work experience, college days and theatre group because his mobility allowance had been cut.

Then there was a local govt worker that made me go Hmm because she was afraid of crowds so the govt paid for her a taxi to go to work. This isn't a disability - it's a phobia and I don't see why the taxpayer should be paying for her to be chauffered to work. If she could get over her fear of crowds to attend a mass rally in London then she can get over them to get on the bus to work or whatever.

And therein lies the problems. The government need to decide who is genuinely entitled to disability benefits (and surely it's not rocket science) and give them all the support they need. Then they should target those who can work but won't work, but the vulnerable need to be protected and supported first.

Original poster
ScousyFogarty · 12/05/2011 11:05

RADIO,TV AND PRESS coverage of demo....Not seen todays papers. I hope its given good coverage. It is very important. And wont go away

I note the Coalition Female Minister did not meet the demonstrators. Surely,
she could have sent someone to talk to them? The disabled would not have gone to thetrouble to demonstrate unless it was life-and=death to them

It makes politics seem a callous business. Tory-led government afraid of a few bad headlines. Be braver Cameron and Nick. (I thought Vince Cable would have spoken up)

Anyway, good luck to all those who went on the London demo.

OP posts:
LaWeasel · 12/05/2011 11:14

I couldn't go either. We're not affected, but it's just so blindingly obvious how awful a lot of these cuts are.

I'm cross it hasn't had much mention - how can it not be important that amongst all the rest there is a green paper proposing cutting local government's obligation to get diabled kids to school, and to provide their education?

How can people not care? It's fucking awful.

HRHShoesytwoesy · 12/05/2011 11:16

and thank you to them for giving up there day, i saw it on the news.
I hope david cameron feels proud of him self.

LaWeasel · 12/05/2011 11:28

It looks like the Guardian is running quite a few articles today, including one about carers savign the gov £119 billion a year...

I hope the other papers are doing the same.

Congratulations to everyone who went yesterday.

MintyMoo · 12/05/2011 11:36

Ah but La Weasel - so many people don't see the 'point' in educating disabled children. But when those disabled children are adults, and can't get work because of their lack of education, and society's prejudice against disabled people they'll be benefit scrounging scum who should have worked harder at school Hmm

I've heard a few people say they don't see the point in educating disabled children - to that I respond that I was a disabled child, I got the same A levels as them, got in to the same Russell Group Uni and graduated with a 2.1. degree just like they did. Why was that pointless for me to do and not for them to do? Why should I have been denied the right to get the best possible academic qualifications for my ability?

People just don't believe disabled people suffer, when I worked no-one believed I was ill. I had 7 hospital appointments in as many months, numerous GP appointments, blood tests etc. But I was, of course, faking it spectacularly well. Imagine fooling 7 GPs and 3 specialists in to thinking I had problems - I should have become an actress, or maybe a con artist. Silly me.

I had lots of time off sick, much more time working reduced hours. But of course I wasn't ill. Dontcha know GP's hand sick notes out to everyone as soon as they walk through the door? Poor, hardworking tax payers are fuelling their homes by burning the sick notes they get every time they sneeze.

I even took medication for my illness, but of course that medication was bad for me, didn't I know that? I was even asked if I'd obtained my medication legally or if I'd bought it on the black market!!!!

It's crazy.