In the UK and on direct action demonstrations. Many demonstrators, do not
have resouces. They have clapped out falling to bits wheelchairs. Some do
not have PA's, or interpreters, they borrow each others equipment and even
share sandwiches and wheelchairs! One way or another they attend because they
care about our human rights. Full stop.
Demonstrations often offers a platform to a shared collective/group identity,
this is the main issue I was referring to but of course and not surprisingly
it got side tracked. I have not always been a wheelchair user myself so I do
empathise with the difficulties of not being able to walk a far without
feeling exhausted but even before I used a wheelchair I still had that
strong identity and gravitated towards group activism.
People tend to assume that a group identity only relates and benefits people
who use wheelchairs. This seems to be very much the perception within the
mainstream restricted growth community and that group identity in relation to
disability rights activism and the disabld peoples' movement is something
that belongs to other disabled people and not us. etc.etc. etc.
Liz
Subj: Re: [Fwd: [disability-awareness] stop the war march]
Date: 2/12/03 1:32:39 AM Pacific Standard Time
From: <A HREF="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]</A>
To: <A HREF="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]</A>
Sent from the Internet (Details)
Liz asks whether any restricted growth people will attend the march.
I don't know. I'm not in direct touch with more than a handful of the
thousands of restricted growth people in the UK! If you post that
enquiry to the Shortlist, Liz, perhaps people will reply there.
But your query raises two interesting questions:
1. How accessible is a march as a form of protest? I personally cannot
walk more than about quarter of a mile. I don't use a wheelchair. So
marching is pretty much out for me. Having been on various Pride and
political demos, this form of protest causes me pain and embarrassment
(falling over in the street, having to catch a ride on wheelies' laps!).
So I'm not going. And to be honest, I feel very guilty and bad about not
doing so.
I've sent my rice though.
2. Why should disabled people necessarily seek each other out on such a
march? Of course, there is an access issue about wheelchair users and
other people's mobility needs. But maybe people would attend such a
march because of other affiliations - socialist, gay, Quaker, Woodcraft
Folk and many other groups will be gathering in affinity groups on
demonstrations. We aren't just disabled people - we have multiple
identities.
Me, I just hang out with my friends! :-)
Tom
-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 12 February 2003 07:33
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [Fwd: [disability-awareness] stop the war march]
I would be genuinely (of course) interested in knowing whether anyone
from the uk restricted growth community, will be attending any of the
peace marches and if they do, would they team up and ally themsleves
with other disabled people?
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