Rising once again like a Phoenix from the ashes, Disabled People’s Direct Action Network (DAN) are to hold a Free Our People memorial action in Parliament Square, London, with the slogan ‘Our Lives are not Disposable!’.
This reunion action which is taking place at 13.30 hrs on Friday 18th March 2022 will focus on the fact that 60% of those people in the UK who have died due to the Covid-19 virus have been disabled people. This does not include the thousands of others that have died due to an overstretched NHS, benefit cuts and sanctions, and care support becoming scarcer.
DAN has always fought for emancipation and against the routine institutionalisation and oppression of disabled and older people. Especially now, when it has been calculated that over 43,000 people living in adult care homes in the UK died as a direct result of Covidduring the first 12 months of the pandemic. DAN were also especially vocal when disabled people were given ‘Do Not Attempt Resuscitation’ notices when taken into hospital with Covid. These notices were usually without the patient’s knowledge or consent.
You can contact DAM for more details of the action by email.
Bring your organisation’s banner and bring your friends and allies. The more the merrier!
A BBC television film called ‘Then Barbara met Alan’ will be released after the action on Sunday 20th March which relates the history of DAN.
Description of cartoon for those using screen reading software
A red, yellow and orange coloured Phoenix is rising from flames clutching smouldering copies of proposals made by disabled people. These include ‘a fully integrated and accessible public transport system’ and also ‘centres for independent living throughout the UK’. Above its head are the letters D A N. Underneath the flames is the statement ‘When the government burn our proposals then like the Phoenix we rise from the ashes!’
© 2022. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence – CC BY-NC-ND
Crippen Cartoons 
Posted by Marina Teramond @ NMPL on 07/04/2022 at 05:51
Quite frankly, i admire the concept of this reunion action because it carries such a significant and deep sense, showing people such global things. Unfortunately, there are a small number of such actions, but I think that it is not right and we need to pay more attention to such important points. The fact that the aforementioned notices were usually without the patient’s knowledge or consent is absolutely inexplicable and unfathomable to the mind because it indicates the absolute Incompetence from the side of doctors. I think that patients need to be fully aware of all information regarding their health and everything needs to be agreed with them because health is such a fragile and crucial thing. It is so wonderful that DAN has always fought against oppression of disabled and older people because such people need to have more protection, having the same rights as everyone else. I think that such people, conversely, need to be more privileged and, of course, not to be infringed.