The Disabled Mothers’ Rights Campaign/WinVisible was glad to take part in this Zoom event held by Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People, “Learn about your rights!”. About the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), with key guest speakers: Wednesday 2 October 11am-3.45pm Speaker info, programme of the day and register here: https://gmcdp.com/civicrm/event/info%3Fid%3D395%26reset%3D1 As part of a varied panel, we’re going to be on the lunchtime panel starting 1.30pm. We’ll be discussing Article 23 of the Convention, Respect for home and the family, which promotes support for disabled mothers and for children … Read more
Our quote from The Big Issue (19 June): “Labour and Tory alike pledge billions more for military spending and nuclear submarines, but don’t prioritise funding for independent living and support for mothers and children to keep families together in the community.” Our full comment was, “. . . Instead there is massive spending to businesses in the privatised children’s home industry. “The Tories and Labour both plan huge welfare cuts and harsher work conditions for benefit, which hit women harder. Labour claim: ‘for women especially, work is freedom’, but those of us who are caring for … Read more
Shared from Disability News Service — thanks to John Pring. Note by WinVisible: At the 2 May local elections, the Mayor of Bristol will be abolished and it’s widely expected that Bristol Green Party will become the governing party. So far, the Greens opposed the cuts budget as “unrealistic” and “cruel” but haven’t made definite commitments: https://bristolgreenparty.org.uk/this-is-labours-budget-not-ours-say-bristols-green-councillors/ We all will have to make sure that there is change. —————————– By John Pring on 18th April 2024 Category: Independent Living Four disabled people’s organisations have written to Bristol’s mayor to call on him to abandon “inhumane and unacceptable” social care … Read more
Please join this timely online event organised by Bristol Reclaiming Independent Living (BRIL) — we’ll be speaking on the panel: Wednesday 17 April 2024, 6.30pm-9pm Cuts, charges and co-production BSL interpretation provided * CC closed captions BRIL and supporters oppose the hated “Fair and Affordable Care” proposals by Bristol City Council, and the cuts budget which the council recently passed – the budget affects even more disabled residents than the original policy. Read BRIL’s statement here. BRIL will give a campaign update. They say: “This open meeting hosted by BRIL is an opportunity for disabled … Read more
We are among disability organisations working with Bristol Reclaiming Independent Living (BRIL), and supporting BRIL members who are facing the threat of being forced to live in a care home. Read BRIL’s latest statement about the budget agreed by Bristol City Council. BRIL’s response to the original consultation, including a legal opinion by Doughty St Chambers on Care Act and human rights, and links to media, is here
A grandmother with cancer was pursued by Tower Hamlets council for £2,600 care charges arrears. Her debt was written off after our battle lasting over nine months, with various twists and turns. Several times, WinVisible quickly had to write to the council asking them to hold off debt recovery, on occasions when she felt too ill to deal with them herself. Ms X is a woman of colour, and we don’t know whether racism was also a factor in how she was treated. She says: A MASSIVE ‘thank you’ to all the WinVisible team for … Read more
On Saturday 20 January, Anne Neale from Support Not Separation and Tracey Norton from the Disabled Mothers’ Rights Campaign (DMRC)/WinVisible spoke about “What is the family court “crisis”? Watch below on YouTube (captions). Anne gives a general overview, Tracey’s talk starts around 15 mins along. This started off a free online conference organised by Family Court Crisis, a coalition of UK family court experienced parents supporting each other through child welfare proceedings, offering parents and carers a space to talk and share solutions to challenges posed by family proceedings. Family Court Crisis is “an unfunded … Read more
16 December 2023 To: Cllr Neil Nerva, Cabinet member, Public Health and Adult Social Care cllr.neil.nerva@brent.gov.uk Andrew Davies, Head of Commissioning, Contract and Market Management andrew.davies@brent.gov.uk Open letterResponse to Brent Adult Social Care Charging Policy Consultation Consultation info We are writing from WinVisible (women with visible and invisible disabilities), a multi-racial grassroots self-help organisation, based at the Crossroads Women’s Centre. We are London-wide with a UK network, and part of the Scrap Care Charges Campaign and Disability Poverty Campaign Group. We include Brent residents in Kilburn, Harlesden & Kensal Green and other wards. We condemn … Read more
Meeting in Parliament Monday 11 December, 3-5pm Grimond Room, Portcullis House, SW1A 2JH (allow extra time for security check) Westminster tube The Disabled Mothers’ Rights Campaign (DMRC) / WinVisible and other disability rights organisations are speaking at this meeting by the Alliance for Inclusive Education, Disabled People Against Cuts and Reclaiming Our Futures Alliance. The End Torture campaign came out of the Hesley Group scandal in Doncaster, where the council was paying £250,000 per young person for residential “special school” placements where they were systematically abused. DMRC and the Support Not Separation coalition, which we … Read more
Open Letter sent from disability organisations 27 November 2023 (signatories updated 31 January To: Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol mayor@bristol.gov.uk Cllr Helen Holland, Cabinet member, Adult Social Care cllr.helen.holland@bristol.gov.uk Council officers: Mette.Jakobsen@bristol.gov.uk James.Mahood@bristol.gov.uk Hugh.Evans@bristol.gov.uk Emma Edwards, leader of the Green Group Cllr.Emma.Edwards@bristol.gov.uk Cllr Jos Clark – leader of the Lib Dem Group cllr.jos.clark@bristol.gov.uk OPEN LETTER Stop the proposed “Fair and Affordable Care” policy We oppose any cuts to social care which undermine disabled people’s survival; which threaten disabled/older people’s choice of where and how to live; and any increase in people being institutionalised. We support … Read more