Step into the irreverent world of disabled cartoonist Crippen aka Dave Lupton, who has been in the vanguard of disability arts movement for more years than he cares to mention. His work has appeared in mainstream press, on TV and film and is now probably the best Disabled cartoonist in the world!

Making assisted suicide more accessible?!

16 June 2011

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A non-disabled friend of mine expressed suprise that not only was I unwilling to help him ensure that assisted suicide would be made fully accessible to disabled people, but that I was also very much against the idea of assisted suicide being made legal in the first place! Recently retired from a life in the medical profession, John is now serving in a voluntary capacity on a panel set up to  address the issue of making assisted suicide legal. In his - in other areas commendable -...

Comments: 19

We're MAD and we're angry!

15 October 2010

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On Tuesday 26th October 2010 at Speakers Corner, Hyde Park at 1300 hours, the campaigning group MAD PRIDE have organised a day of action to oppose welfare benefits cuts for people labelled Mentally Ill. UK mental health service users and survivors will publicly assemble to re-enact the opening chapter of Michel Foucault´s seminal book ‘Discipline and Punishment’. A life-size effigy of a prominent Conservative/ Liberal Democrat merger politician will be publicly executed...

Comments: 2

Crippen looks at the powers now held by the Court of Protection

31 May 2010

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There are growing concerns that under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 the Court of Protection has been handed sweeping powers without adequate scrutiny and openess. This departs from the general principle of open justice held by other courts. Holding its cases behind closed doors, the Court has the power to order that people with severe learning difficulties are sterilised, undergo abortions or have life-support switched off. It can even impose “experimental” treatments on these...

Comments: 10

Crippen hears from a mental health system survivor about 'safe and well' checks

9 April 2010

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It's not unexpected that people who experience severe mental distress generally find night times the worst time to be alone. This is compounded by mental health trusts not being required to have any more than a tick box quota of staff available at night. In fact, most don't bother providing any real service during this time other than fielding a token Crisis Team often consisting of only two people. I talked to a survivor who attended a recent workshop regarding mental health Crisis Teams. She...

Comments: 9

Crippen asks what's behind the apology given to survivors of thalidomide

14 March 2010

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Fifty years after the one of the worst disasters in medical history, hundreds of survivors of the thalidomide scandal have finally got an apology from the government and a new £20 million compensation package. Mike O'Brien, minister of health, recently announced a new funding scheme that will help survivors cope with the changing needs of age. He also offered what campaigners said they wanted even more – an apology. "The Government wishes to express its sincere regret and deep...

Comments: 2

Crippen looks at the 'cash for drugs' treatment plan

11 October 2009

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A team of doctors at Queen Mary, University of London, hopes to encourage "difficult" patients to comply with treatment by paying them for every jab of anti-psychotic drugs that they have. ‘Experts’ believe a third of patients given the label of bipolar or schizophrenia fail to comply with their prescribed medication regime causing relapses and a higher cost to the NHS. They claim that missing as few as one to 10 days of oral anti-psychotic therapy nearly doubles the risk...

Comments: 4