One of the things I enjoy about being part of the Disability Arts on Line (DAO) family is that it provides for me a unique platform on which I can present my more adventurous cartoons. Take the Criptarts for example. I haven't a clue where it's going each week and the end result is usually more of a surprise to me than to you. Of course I've got a rough outline in my mind for each episode, but it's as though the characters come alive once I've started to lay them out in the strip and they just...

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Living on an island we could be forgiven for thinking that the harsh cuts that are being inflicted on us Crips in the UK are unique and out of step with the rest of Europe. Wrong! Listening to disabled people in France, Greece and especially Spain, we hear that the exact same policies of cuts to benefits and services, along with an orchestrated move to get us all back into institutions, is taking place throughout Europe. Thousands of disabled people rallied in Madrid last week to protest...

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Like hundreds of other disabled people in the UK today, Adam Lotun has experienced verbal and physical abuse, has been spat at, pushed off the pavement in his wheelchair into oncoming traffic and accused of single handedly bringing this Country to the brink of bankruptcy by claiming disability benefits. Now on top of this, like thousands of other disabled people in the UK, Adam has been subjected to the ATOS work capability process and as a result has had his benefits cut and his accessible...

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I've had several messages concerning limited access  to the forthcoming Paralympics. For the most part it's been about poor information provision but other issues are now coming to light, one of which seems to involve a strange interpretation of PA support. A disabled mum of two, along with her husband decided that they would like to go to the Paralympics. Well, here's her story ... "The London 2012 Olympic Games were brilliant. My family - particularly my two children -...

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I found this article in the Guardian archives which may have some relevance to the forthcoming Paralympics and the proposed ATOS protests. Back in 2008 the British Olympic Association (BOA) said it would review its athletes' contract for the Beijing Games after criticism of a clause which had prevented competitors from making political statements in China. The clause, which appeared to go beyond the requirements of the Olympic charter, will be softened although athletes who engage in overt...

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Why is it that the companies that Cameron and his cronies pay to handle such diverse matters as the Direct Payments Scheme (A4E) and now the stewarding of the Olympic Games (G4S), when they foul up, they get let off with little more than a slapped wrist? Nothing about Breach of Contract, Penalty Clauses, or being made to give back the millions that they've been paid! No, the British tax payer coughs up yet again and we bail out yet another balls-up! But what about all of the pieces that...

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We all have our own take on the Olympics, especially the Paralympics where super crips compete to appear normal and we're all expected to forget about the billions being spent on this event whilst many of us have our benefits pared down to the bone ... or am I being too cynical?! This article caught my eye the other day about a young disabled guy, a wheelchair user, who felt the need to carry the Olympic torch for a few yards. No doubt he was doing this to be ironic (let's give him the...

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One of the main problems affecting many disabled people at the moment is a lack of income. And, as a result, a reduction in the ability to make those choices that affect the quality of our lives. Until recently, many disabled people earned a reasonable income from providing professional services to organisations which provided disability equality training for their workforce, as part of complying with their legal obligations in relation to employment and providing services.  But recently...

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Well, it's all been happening whilst I've been away. Apart from such regulars as young Dolly, Joe Mc, Tanya and Ms. Pepper, a quick glance at the DAO blog lists brings up a host of fresh names. But are they what they appear to be? Take for example Rich Downes. Obviously a  pseudonym (and I see he's done the reverse of what I do and has used a picture of a much older man in order to establish more credibility). I actually have it on good authority that he's only allowed out...

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It strikes me as strange that this government haven't safe-guarded themselves by keeping the police forces around the country happy. As more and more people take to the streets in protest against the ConDem's slash and burn tactics, I would have thought that they are going to need the boys and girls in blue to maintain public order and keep party members safe. But with the various police forces up and down the country being faced with their own cuts, there's now a strong possiblity...

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The Big Society Sucks! - a poem by Ann Young  I will not go quietly Or rebuild bridges burnt I'll make my own way now With many lessons learnt Hard work needs reward It's the only way A good day's work For a decent pay! We fought so hard For our equality Don't throw all that away By wanting work for free I'll not work for nothing It seems so wrong to ask I'm a disabled woman Reclaiming my working class   I was offered voluntary work but rejected it. I have...

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The following letter was received by Caroline Lucas MP (Green Partry - Brighton Pavilion) when she wrote to the Minister of Disabled People on behalf of one of her disabled constituents.   From Maria Miller MP "Thank you for your letter of 19 November to the Secretary of State on behalf of a number of your constituents about the effects of the Comprehensive Spending Review on disabled people. I am replying as the Minister for Disabled People. As you know, the Coalition Government is...

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A Day of Mourning for the Welfare State, Justice and Equality has been arranged to co-incide with the royal wedding on Friday 29th April, 2011 at 1400 hrs. This is just one of the expressions of outrage being expressed by people effected by the cuts to education, housing, public transport, the NHS, the Welfare State and much more. Whilst bankers and speculators celebrate another year of profit and Tory and LibDem politicians congratulate themselves on having continued to fool the vast majority...

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Excuse me for seeming a little confused here, but hasn't the Prime Minister just been telling us how little money we have and that we're all going to have to tighten our belts and that Disabled people have to accept benefit cuts to the tune of 12 billion pounds ...?! So, what's with this sudden appearance of seven billion that is going to be paid into the Irish banks as a token of the "particular economic relationship" that exists? I suppose the key word here is...

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UK citizens who were detained illegally at the US run Guantanamo prison in Cuba are to be paid millions of pounds compensation by the British Government. And quite right to. Innocent people being locked away in an inhospitable place, away from their families and friends and all because they appear different to the rest of society should be compensated. For someone to be denied their place in society and to be incarcerated in a place not of their own choosing must be a terrible experience to...

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Many of you will know that I run a Face Book account as Crippen - Disabled cartoonist and post links to various disability related events that are going on as well as links to this blog and other disabled artists. When the ConDem Coalition came into being I began to create cartoons that supported the stand being taken by groups and organisations who were protesting about the benefit cuts being planned. My posts carried cartoons created for the 3rd October Disabled People's Protest group and the...

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A recent survey shows that society has completely fallen for the latest piece of CONDEM misinformation that millions of pounds are being claimed fraudulently, especially those benefits that are designed to assist Disabled people to compete more equally in the work place. They also endorse the use of paid Bounty Hunters to track these alleged cheats down. The fact that the government’s own figures show that this fraud claim is a complete nonsense and that millions of pounds lay unclaimed...

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Our old friend George is carrying a useful piece of advice in his current blogspot  which relates to the sorts of underhand techniques that some sales persons resort to when selling to Disabled people. Having worked in the dim and distant past for Motability in Harlow and then as a mobility consultant for several vehicle converters I can verify that many of these companies are only focussed on one thing - to get you to part with your money. I doubt that the standards have improved very...

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Disability Pride is an odd concept which seems to be quite difficult for many non-disabled people to grasp.

I mean, why would be be proud of our impairments?

Here's a link to Vince Laws' current blog where he explains what Disability Pride means to him.

Click here to visit his blog and leave a comment.

Cheers

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On Wednesday the 16th June the Disabled people's Direct Action Network (D.A.N) will take to the streets in solidarity with the National Day of Action against the dismantling of the Welfare State. D.A.N demonstrations will be taking place in Manchester and London and will welcome all people who identify, or who are regarded as disabled, whatever their background or impairments. For those of you who have never been on a D.A.N demo it's important that you know that D.A.N. uses the strategy of...

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I've recently received an email from a Disabled equality trainer in Australia asking if she could use some of my cartoons about labelling within her courses. She hadn't come across the concept before and felt that it might help her to get across the equality message to both non-disabled and disabled Australians. "No problem" I replied, and then began to wonder if other readers of this blog in other parts of the world were as ignorant of this concept as she was. With this in mind I've...

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Crippen is currently in the UK meeting up with his many contacts in the world of cripdom and gathering fresh material for this cartoon blog and other projects that he has underway. He'll be back with us next week, and in the meantime has left us with one of his typical 'us and them' creations! FaceBook Our hardworking Editor Colin has been on a drive to get membership of dao's facebook group site increased. He's just got another 30 members to join in the past couple of days - so we're now up to...

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