Fighting for Disabled rights!

By New Worker correspondent

Disabled people’s rights campaigners from Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) picketed the Jobcentre in Kentish Town, London as part of last week’s national Week of Action to raise awareness of the plight of the disabled under the austerity regime.

            The protests were timed to coincide with the start of the Paralympics in Brazil, which gave a false impression that the disabled in Britain are well supported. The reality is that at the end of last year Britain became the first country in the world to be investigated by the United Nations for grave and systematic violations of Disabled people’s rights.

The interest surrounding the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio was used by DPAC to draw attention to the cumulative impact of the cuts on Disabled people that are taking Disabled people’s rights back decades with attacks in every area of our lives, from education to independent living to employment to income.

DPAC is not protesting against the Games themselves but is using this opportunity to raise awareness of the increasing numbers of Disabled people whose access not only to sport and recreation but also to basic human rights, such support to eat, drink and use the toilet, is being taken away as a result of the cuts.