Disabled marchers turn out in thousands for benefits protest

Many of the demonstrators fear that, despite changes that have already affected them disproportionately, the worst is yet to come Waving placards with slogans such as “I didn’t chose to be disabled” and “Easy Target: cuts to disabled disgraceful”, thousands of people took to the streets of Westminster to protest at the government’s spending cuts and benefit reforms. The protesters, many of whom had never been on a demonstration before, included people who are virtually immobile. With an army of supporters, relatives, charities and friends, those who were able to walked, while others used wheelchairs to make the trip past the Houses of Parliament. Two thousand people had signed up to speak to their MPs after the march, according to organisers. Many were angry about cuts in mobility allowance, which they say will limit their independence; others at the changes to payments from disability living allowance to child benefit, which they claim will hit them hardest. Many of the demonstrators fear that, despite changes that have already affected them disproportionately, the worst is yet to come. At a rally before the march, speakers included the shadow work and pensions secretary, Liam Byrne, and Labour MP Dame Anne Begg, who chairs the work and pensions select committee and is herself a wheelchair user. Jane Asher, the actor and president of the Arthritis Council, National Autistic Society and Parkinson’s UK, told the rally: “This is the largest rally of disabled people in living memory, and that’s something to be proud of – at the same time, it is very sad that it has come to this.” She described the cuts as “cruel and misguided” and said: “The prime minister said that the savings would protect the vulnerable. Far from protecting the vulnerable, these cuts are bearing down disproportionately on those with disability.” Wheelchair user Tony Vanterpool, 53, from Brampton in Cambridgeshire, said he had come to protest at the cutting of his mobility allowance of £17 a month. Vanterpool, who has been deaf since birth, lost his ability to use sign language as well as his mobility after a stroke five years ago, said: “I’ve come to campaign with all the disabled people because the government are cutting my mobility allowance.” Speaking through a signing interpreter and with the aid of a light writer on his lap, which displays the words he types, he said: “I need [the allowance] to go to the deaf club.” His signer and support worker, Jan Smith, said: “Because Tony’s fully deaf, it’s the only chance he gets to meet people and relax and use his own language – signing.” Julie Fernandez, who played Brenda in The Office, said the government should be doing more to help disabled people who want to work. A wheelchair user, she said: “The government want to get people into employment in principle, but we are living in a recession and the business community don’t see disabled people as viable employers. “They see us as people who are going to be taking time off sick or who aren’t intelligent enough. They should stop penalising disabled people and start making the business community and public transport more accessible.”Fernandez, 37, from Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, said the film and TV industry was “incredibly discriminatory” as it was still seen as acceptable to have able-bodied actors playing disabled characters. “There are millions of people across the UK with permanent disabilities. They need to be supported – they don’t need to be living in fear of having their benefits taken away.” Carrying a black coffin with the words “disability equality” on the side, Mary Carr, 46, accused the government of “demonising disabled people”. Carr said: “I’m fortunate in that I can hold down a job. I have access to work support and the government pays for taxis to take me to work. They haven’t cut that, but the warning signs are there. “A lot of my disabled colleagues have lost their jobs, because in public services they are targeting local offices and disabled people can’t travel to get to other places. We signed up to the European convention for people with disabilities, but if you go through the effects of the cuts – transport, education, housing – all the rights I have to take part in society are being eroded. It’s the poor and disabled who are more reliant on the public sector.” Sheila Gardiner, 62, from Derbyshire, was a book keeper until she had a stroke five years ago. Now unable to walk or transfer from her wheelchair unaided, she lives in a Leonard Cheshire disability care home, and currently gets £49.85 DLA support every week, which is under threat. Gardiner said: “Britain is going backwards towards Victorian times when people were either very rich or very poor.” The Hardest Hit march was organised by the UK Disabled People’s Council and the Disability Benefits Consortium, and was supported by organisations including Mind, Mencap RNIB and Sense. Richard Hawkes, the chief executive of the charity Scope, said that he hoped the march would give disabled people a sense that they were not alone. “We know there’s a deficit, but government has said we’re in it together. Taking away the DLA mobility allowance for people in residential care, which means that they can’t go out, is not a sign that we are all in it together.” The organisers said about 5,000 people took part in the march. Scotland Yard put the figure between 2,000 and 3,000 and said it passed off without incident. Disability London Welfare Karen McVeigh guardian.co.uk

Posted by on May 11, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.