Memorial action Friday — DAN Disabled People’s Direct Action Network

DAN Memorial Action — press release from DAN:

18/03/2022

Press conference at 14:45 pm

Outside department for health and social care.

London.

Following the release of the BBC docu-drama ‘Then Barbara met Alan”, due to be screened on 21/03/2022 based on the real life formation of the Disabled People’s Direct Action Network (DAN), 14 years after our last action, we will be conducting a reunion FREE OUR PEOPLE action.

DAN will ask “What has really changed in the last 30 years?”

We are angry and dismayed at the ongoing hostile environment for disabled and other marginalised people.

Going on Government figures that are nearly a year old now, nearly 100,000 disabled people have died during the last two years due to Covid and and roughly another 100,000 due to related deficiencies in health and social care.

DAN, WinVisible and friends will be laying a wreath in their memory and taking our demands to the Department for Health and Social Care.

We are not Disposable!

30+ years since DAN was created, disabled people’s lives continue to be viewed as disposable.

Despite legislation aimed at protecting disabled people’s equality, since the pandemic many disabled people have had Do Not

Resuscitate orders imposed on them without consent, fought frailty scoring to gain access to medical treatment, faced inaccessible communication and we make up 60% of deaths from Covid.

 The biggest common factor of people dying is where people live.

Despite these terrible figures, there has been no review of disabled people’s living circumstances. We have campaigned against the institutionalisation of our people for many years. And we’re coming back to ask government to FREE OUR PEOPLE!

There are increased moves to legalise assisted suicide going through parliament and Government are cutting health and social support for disabled people locally.

Disabled people are still more likely than non disabled people to be unemployed or living in poverty. Hate crime against disabled people has increased and more and more disabled people are feeling lonely and isolated due to lack of support. We continue to be depicted as benefits scroungers by a punitive, government keen to hand out sanctions, not food.

Whilst at the same time there are reductions in social support which impacts on disabled people’s participation in society and self determination.

The recent government handling of the pandemic has only highlighted their disregard for disabled and older people in residential care and those living in their own homes. The lack of PPE and the death rate we witnessed brought into public debate the fact that disabled people of all ages are not valued and are being portrayed AS DISPOSABLE.

Do Not Resuscitate this Government!

Our people are being deliberately made vulnerable by our government’s actions and sanctions. Multiply marginalized disabled people most of all.

In remembrance of the disabled people who have lost their lives during the last two years, we lay our wreath. Especially those abandoned in nursing homes, psychiatric units and assessment and treatment units.

Those of us left behind say enough is enough – we will no longer be silent whilst our people are culled.

We’re DAN! We’re back!

Get used to it!

Press contacts:

Members of dan are willing to be interviewed about their experiences taking part in the original DAN protests, as well as highlight the huge battles that are still being fought today due to the oppression faced by disabled people 30 years on.

John: 07801705630

Carlo: (01604)240096

On site phone: 07970 959791

Our email disabledpeoplesdirectactionnet@gmail.com

Reference health and social care disability outcomes for disabled people in the uk – outcomes for disabled people in the uk: 2021

Government Covid statistics

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i1IDPJe3D-nJY0P6oSy9tGYhdwa2uFYTHzLvWYlYY70/edit?usp=drivesdk

Photo credits: Ernest Bow and Sandra Daniels.