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Sir John Bell, Regius Chair of Medicine at Oxford University for nearly 2 decades, has said that Coronavirus is 'here to stay' and to 'prepare for the worst' this winter. Me - As everyone 'loosens lockdown', we play roulette with peoples' lives, the world shows disabled people /1
-25% of population- how low down the list of priorities we are. Couldn't even meet our access requirements before lockdown, and our covid requirements are certainly not being met. 'Lock yersels away and the world will continue without you'. Nice. No. We have to do things /2
differently. What will your loosened world look like for/with us? That isn't just a series of camera experiences. We can't just go back to 'a version of normal' with one way systems & spaced out chairs and tables. Who is at the heart of our arts buildings? People. And who will /3
still be invisible? Disabled people. Not because we're deficient but because how the world works is. They didn't need camps for us at all - just lock us up at home and hope the internet cacophony drowns us out. Well I for one will not be silenced or invisible, and neither will/4
my community. We're going to fight for our survival, literally, societally and culturally. But good god where are our allies with the biggest platforms? Platforms from which we can be amplified, celebrated, given autonomy, a share of the power and our work invested in! But /5
still we have to kill ourselves fighting. Come on people - broadcasters, big stages and galleries, decision makers - give us the platforms not only to survive the life and death of this but to be visible and amazing. As you attempt to rebuild the already inaccessible world /6
in our absence, 25% of the population, you collude in our erasure. How are you going to avoid that? What are you DOING about that? We weren't important enough before. And I am observing, experiencing what people think of us now - those in the arts with power, decision makers /7
who jump on the next liberal cause, virtue signalling but not really doing anything. It is an active decision to scroll on by this, to not prioritise disabled voices. The biggest scandal of our generation is that over 100, 000 disabled people people died in this country due to /8
govt policy of austerity. Economic policy, not inevitable deaths. And now tens of thousands more of us have died, with some of us not even counted, in four short months, with figures set to more than double by February due to survival of the fittest policy. If you have /9
put the usual shutters down, shame on you. Shame on dominant culture. Shame on those choosing to be bystanders. See us, hear us, put us on your agenda and put us in your, publicly funded, platforms. Now. Don't be part of the problem. Culture sector is in catch up -time for /10
change. Who is the next disabled person you are speaking to? How are you actively making change for the better and not just paying lip service? Can you set your ego to one side, bridge the status gap and ask for disabled peoples' help. Act now. Let's work this out together - /11
This isn't a diversity or a minority thing - this is a humanity and equality thing. /12 ends, over to you #WeShallNotBeRemoved
