Disability justice in the age of austerity
I wanted to think about Henry Nowak and his case before commenting. The conclusion I’ve come to is that this is about the same thing as the Rotherham grooming gangs, and the same thing as the trans prisoners ‘debate’. Please read to the end before commenting. Henry died pleading for his life and the systemic... Continue Reading
I spoke with STV News today about the Assisted Dying Bill in Holyrood. Obviously, I had a lot more to say than they could fit in, so let me say it here. (I have limited replies because, of everything I m involved in, this is the topic I hate the most. I love so many people... Continue Reading
You won t believe me, but I wrote the below this morning, before hearing the news. I thought it was probably too mawkish to publish so kept it as a draft. Then I heard Chris Rea had died, and it felt too weird. But if Christmas isn t a time for mawkish and weird, when is. So... Continue Reading
EMERGENCY CALL OUT: DISABLED PEOPLE HAVE TEN DAYS BEFORE THE DISABILITY CUTS ARE VOTED ON IN PARLIAMENT WE NEED A REBELLION I am begging, even if you think there s no point, even if you have tried before, please contact your MP and ask them to vote against the cuts on the 1st July. If they... Continue Reading
I m really struggling at the moment with anger. I m very much of the opinion that rage can be healthy when it s used to fuel change, but this anger is a stone in my heart. It s a combination of things which come down to I have nowhere to put this . I keep crying because it s overwhelming.The... Continue Reading
CN: DWP I need everyone in the UK who isn t directly affected by these potential cuts to read this. [Everyone who IS affected please do not read further. I have spent the last week trying to work out how to say this in a way which gets across the severity to people who don t... Continue Reading
I write a lot about how I see hope. I have poems about how hope doesn’t feel positive to me I know its effect is positive, but it’s not a nice feeling. It hurts. In movies, when hope sparks, the person usually smiles. That’s not been my experience. I write about how hope is... Continue Reading
This is about the War Poets, the use of poetry, and the purpose of memorials like the Cenotaph and days like Armistice Day. Like many, I was taught the War Poets at school. It was the first time I really understood what poetry could do. I always loved it, but reading Dulce Et Decorum Est... Continue Reading
Once again: the death of twitter jokes are fun but the disability community is filled with dread. Twitter fills a specific niche for so many of us which makes it the place we organise, support each other, develop theory and practice, and have social lives. No other solution fits the same need, and the community... Continue Reading
Every single thing about this article from the Sunday Times is horrifying (here is a paywall-free link). One of the UK's papers of record is violently misrepresenting Gillick Competence - a foundational feminist victory and central to the safety of all children, but especially girls.