Saturday’s Access to Work march was simply amazing.
There was a great mix of Deaf and hearing people, including disabled people, non-disabled people and BSL/English interpreters.
About 1,000 of us joined forces to give the government a strong and clear message: Stop making changes to access to work! We’ve had enough of your cuts!
To watch this article signed by Jen in BSL, click play below, or scroll down to read it in English!
I was part of the great team of organisers. We worked hard together to make sure everything went smoothly; and it did indeed.
After handing in our petition at Downing Street (about 20,000 people had signed it by then), we had a rally, with John Walker as compere and a range of speakers, including Deaf people, disabled people and union reps. That was excellent, too.
I’m sure most of you will have seen lots of photos and videos already, on Facebook, Twitter and other places online, but I’d like to share my favourite three with you:
This photo shows the group of people who handed in the petition at Downing Street.
The group was made up of three Deaf people, two disabled people and an interpreter (there was another interpreter there to actually interpret the handover).
This made it clear that we are all united and working together against the cuts. That’s what we must do if we want our campaign to succeed. There is strength in unity!
All of the march stewards were superstars, working hard to make sure that the march went smoothly and safely.
I was the lead steward, and I happened to take this photo of four of the stewards… it wasn’t until afterwards that I realised that the four of them are all hearing and don’t “benefit” from AtW by claiming it themselves or earning any money from it.
They were all there to support us because they value what we contribute to society, and they feel that we’re all in this together. The government says that AtW is “for deaf and disabled people”, but in reality, it’s for EVERYONE, so that we can ALL contribute.
Photo credit: Unite the Resistance
This beautiful banner is 15 metres long and was made by a deaf woman, Millie Vadgama from London, back in 2003 to mark the government’s “recognition” of BSL. We used it in the 2003 BSL march, but there hasn’t been a deaf march since then, so it’s been in storage for the past 12 years.
A bit of a waste, really, so we asked the people who were looking after it in Preston if they could bring it along. It was great to see it back on the streets!
Jen Dodds is a Contributing Editor for The Limping Chicken. When she’s not looking after chickens or children, Jen can be found translating, proofreading and editing stuff over at Team HaDo Ltd (teamhado.com). On Twitter, Jen is @deafpower.
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pennybsl
September 28, 2015
If only comments here could include photos (lots of great pictures and videos in Facebook)!
Having been to the BSL Marches around 15 years ago, for many marchers it was a real ‘shot in the arm’ experience to take over the streets of Central London once again.
It was a shorter route, but one where many, many people and press photographers witnessed, for them, the largest gathering of Deaf & hearing people signing their protest about unnecessary changes to ATW.
The focus on the need to retain Access to Work as a real life-saver for Deaf & Disabled people working, as a genuine FUND / GRANT, was strongly reinforced on the day by the presence of TUC, unions, organisations and professionals. Many marchers travelled from all over the UK to show their protest.
They highlighted the senseless ‘sabotage’ of many efficient Deaf & Disabled people’s careers in the past two years.
What the DWP and people may not realise, when Deaf people’s roles in the employment market got undermined by unconsulted and ‘anti-Equality Impact Assessment’ actions by the DWP in the past two years, those changes imperil many hearing people’s jobs as well – communication professionals, personal assistants, travel buddies etc.. The ripple effect is unmistakably HUGE, affecting communities and workplaces.
Through many exchanges with people at the march, it appears that staff dealing with ATW cases – few good ones, many ‘bad’ ones – are incapable of seeing the bigger picture and long-term benefits of properly funded support.
Stop Changes to ATW has to continue informing the public and the government real FACTS and the need for better transparency and return to dignity of this scheme, not as a political toy to play with.
Everyone in SC2ATW is a VOLUNTEER and passionate about the cause for ALL – hence ACTION has to happen to make the Government pause to reconsider its attitude towards Deaf & Disabled people as real workers, not being habitually stereotyped (especially in the media) as useless.
Next step – get your MP to back the cause for the sake of our careers and professional development; also for the sake of our children, Deaf, Disabled and hearing as the next generation of workers in a more inclusive workforce.