Adding Insult to injury
The majority of disabled people, whether service users or not, are unlikely to know that this event is taking place. The fact it is ‘about them’ rather than an event seeking to involve them perhaps gives us the clearest message yet regarding the utter disregard the Coalition government has for the rights of disabled people. Sadly, with the shadow spokesperson on disability issues also participating in this patronising farce, it would seem we have a tri-partisan approach to displaying disabled people and service provision in the brave new ‘market place’. Every aspect of this National Disabilities Conference stink to high heaven – ideologically and politically – it adds insult to injury by stealing the language and concepts of the Disabled People’s Movement and transforming them into tools that will assist in the dismantling of the Welfare State.
Janus politics – creating a new culture of social exclusion
On the agenda are issues such as employment, independent living and disability hate crime, however, none of these subjects are likely to be discussed in the context of current government policies; policies that have contributed to disabled workers losing jobs, done nothing to challenge disabling barriers in the labour market, resulted in claimants losing benefits and many severely impaired people having their services reduced or removed. How can there be a discussion on independent living against a backdrop of the closure of the Independent Living Fund? How can people listen to a presentation on Disability Hate Crime and not round upon the role played by the Department of Works and Pensions in feeding material to fuel the ‘scroungers’ agenda? The answer is these issues will be discussed in terms of ‘opportunities’ – providing workfare programmes, making money by providing services within the voluntary and private sectors or increasing marketization in the public sector.
Since the mid-1990s we have seen the development of Janus politics where disability charities, parts of the voluntary sector and certain disabled people’s organisations have launched a new Disability Movement that speaks of rights on the one hand, whilst seeking to serve the neoliberal agenda on the other. The NDC is populated by individuals and organisations who want to foster the Big Society and buy a piece of the action as the services are hived off – it is an auction and disabled people’s lives will be placed under the hammer.
Nothing about us – without us!
This Conference employs patronage and an oppressive methodology. The United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Disabled People advocates self-determination – nothing about us without us – yet, the blurb for the NDC is clearly at odds with the methodology that underpins the Convention because it portrays disabled people as passive receivers of ‘care’. Consider the following:
This event will provide delegates with the opportunity to debate and discuss the key issues around supporting disabled people across the UK. With key speakers, high level policy makers & drivers and important stakeholders present, this event is one not to be missed.
Add to this statement, the central purpose of the event:
Network with peers from across the health, work, crime and academic sectors, as well as stakeholders for central and local government. Just in case you are still unconvinced by the social exclusion of disabled people from this “Disabilities” event, take a close look at the Delegate price list: 1. Private £470 + VAT
2. Central Government £420 + VAT
3. Local Government £370 + VAT
4. NHS/Emergency Services/Police £350 + VAT
5. Third Sector/Charity £320 + VAT
6. Academic £350 + VAT
7. Trade Association £325 + VAT
Can you imagine the shock among disabled people who have come across this Conference and its agenda? Disabled activists fighting the austerity measures and promoting disability politics are being encouraged to take a stand against this Conference because it upholds everything the Disabled People’s Movement has fought against for the last forty years. The NDC 2013 epitomises the very essence of Janus politics by employing a dependency model approach to those sick and disabled people cast in the role of ‘deserving of care’ and a phoney ‘rights approach’ to those considered ‘lazy and workshy’ – in the words of Iain Duncan Smith, “….a hand up and not a hand out.” The Conference therefore can be seen as a watershed; it sets out the market stall for future government policies and draws a line in the sand vis-à-vis any progressive steps towards inclusive practices or the equalisation of opportunities for disabled people.
Protest and Resist
It is time to say enough is enough to this sheer hypocrisy; time to defend our struggle for emancipation against the patronising service providers who seek to exploit us and keep us dependent upon them; now is the time to demand Esther McVey sticks her disablist policies where the sun fails to shine!
There will be those who will fail to see what the fuss is all about; it is only a conference. The truth is the NDC is more than a conference; it is the first glimpse of a route map that will take us away from building an inclusive society and towards further marketisation, social exclusion, poverty and greater exploitation of both disabled people and those who work alongside them. It is vital to see this conference as yet another ideological and political attack on disabled people’s rights and welfare. We cannot afford to how the NDC to go ahead unchallenged.
Bob Williams-Findlay, co-founder of Disabled People Against Cuts and member of the Social Work Action Network steering committee.
May 2013
update: cartoons by Dave Lupton aka Crippen
