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Saturday, August 30, 2014

Turns Out That British Conservative MP Philip Davies, Who Tore Strip Off The UN, Is A Hypocrite

The Daily Mail's hatchet job on the UN (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2735958/UN-sparks-fury-launching-human-rights-investigation-Britain-s-treatment-disabled.html) includes this comment from Tory MP Philip Davies:

‘These people at the UN are idiots, frankly. There’s no other way to describe them.

‘This country has led the way in the support and rights that we give to disabled people – such as through the Disability Discrimination Act which was passed by a Conservative government in 1995.

‘If the UN drew up a list of countries in the world showing how much they gave to disabled people they would find the UK was the highest in the world.

‘They are exposing the UN for the completely useless organisation that it is.’



It can be revealed that Conservative MP Philip Davies sparked controversy in 2011 when he suggested that people with disabilities should be paid less than the minimum wage.

Tory MP Philip Davies: disabled people could work for less pay | Society | The Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/society/2011/jun/17/tory-philip-davies-disabled-people-work

As for his assertion that Britain "has led the way in the support and rights that we give to disabled people", it doesn't pass the smell test.  Here's just one example:

Tens of thousands of sick and disabled patients face YEAR-long wait for cash help - Mirror Online http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/tens-thousands-sick-disabled-patients-3958136

Disabled people in Britain will lose their independence, jobs, and Motability vehicles because of failure to quality for Personal Independence Payments (PIP). Hundreds of thousands of lives will tragically be destroyed.

The government has admitted that, at minimum, 400,000 disabled claimants will not qualify for PIP. Moreover, claimants who can walk more than 20 metres (65ft) will no longer be entitled to the £56.75 enhanced weekly mobility allowance and could be offered the standard rate of just £21.55. If they depend on PIP for paying bills and basics, how will they survive on such a meager benefit?


Working for disability equality in Higher Education - the global perspective July, 20-24, 2015 - Manchester, UK.

Working for disability equality in Higher Education - the global perspective
                                           July, 20-24, 2015 - Manchester, UK.

                                                     Proposals due 10/31/2014.

NADP-UK International Conference 2015

The National Association of Disability Practitioners International Conference –‘Working for disability equality in Higher Education – the global perspective’ will be taking place in Manchester from 20th – 24th July 2015.  It is supported by the University of Manchester Directorate for the Student Experience and Disability Support Office and will provide a global perspective, focusing on disabled student support from pre-entry to University or College onto successful transition into employment.


Support systems and services around the world are often recognized as being of a high quality, however, there is still much to learn and develop.  This conference will enable delegates from the global community to come together and share knowledge, practical skills and good practice in the provision of support for disabled students


We are delighted that Scott Lissner (AHEAD and The Ohio State University), Ann Heelan (AHEAD Ireland) and Nicole Ofeish (Independent Learning Consultant and Stanford University) have agreed to give keynote presentations at the conference.


Please go to the International Conference tab for information about submitting an abstract for consideration.

http://nadp-uk.org/uploads/news/id197/IC15%20Abstract%20submission%20form.doc

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Anthology on Autism and Race (by autistic people of color)

Hello everyone,

I'm collaborating with the Autism Women's Network to edit a new anthology
on autism and race to be written entirely by autistic people of color. The
vast majority of literature about autism, whether written by autistics or
non-autistics, largely excludes the voices and experiences of autistic
people of color, and we're hoping to change that conversation. You can read
more about the history and vision for this project (and watch/listen to our
captioned and transcribed intro video) at our fundraiser page
<https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/autism-and-race-anthology>.

Right now, we are fundraising on IndieGoGo
<https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/autism-and-race-anthology> to cover the
costs of printing and publication, since AWN is a tiny nonprofit with a
small budget, and we'd like to produce the anthology independent of any
corporate publishing house. The costs will go toward publishing the
anthology in a variety of formats so it will be as accessible as possible
-- large print, standard print, Braille, e-book formats, etc. We have a
total projected budget of $10,000 to cover all associated costs, and in the
first week of the fundraiser, have raised the first $1,000, but need to
find the rest in the next four weeks. If you can donate anything, or know
anyone else who might be able and willing, it would be awesome to pass on
the link.

We have also published the submission guidelines for the anthology
<http://autismwomensnetwork.org/autism-race-anthology/>, so please share
far and wide. We're especially hoping that autistic people of color who
live *outside *the United States will submit since much literature focuses
only on U.S. perspectives. We're also particularly interested in centering
people who are Black, queer, trans*, chronically ill, poor, migrant, young,
mad, or multiply-disabled. We welcome artists and activists, as well as
scholars. The submission deadline is November 15th.

Thank you so much for any help on either front, and I'm looking forward to
reading any submissions!

Lydia
______________
*Lydia Brown*
lydia@autistichoya.com
+1 202-618-0187 (voice or text)
Portfolio: www.autistichoya.net
Blog: www.autistichoya.com

Sunday, August 17, 2014

I will be submitting a UN inquiry request into Britain's benefit-sanctioning regime, and I need your assistance

Ahead of the September meeting of the Human Rights Council (see third paragraph of http://mydisabilitystudiesblackboard.blogspot.ca/2014/08/an-inopportune-time.html), I will shortly submit an inquiry request to the CRPD and Human Rights Council, petitioning them to open an investigation into Britain's benefit-sanctioning regime. (At the request of Jorge Araya, UNCRPD Secretary, I am completing a bibliography of media articles on this subject, with particular focus on inappropriate sanctions.) You may already know my views on this matter: http://twishort.com/1RVfc.

My bibliographic assignment for the UNCRPD Secretary might be an indication that the UN has already opened an investigation into Britain's benefit-sanctioning regime, but for the sake of certainty I'll make that request myself.

In my opinion, there's enough compelling evidence (especially from MPs and the Work & Pensions Committee) to persuade the UN to open an investigation into Britain's benefit-sanctioning regime. (See, for instance:

 1) Stitching-up claimants is all part of the job, says Jobcentre insider - Ros Wynne Jones - Mirror Online http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/stitching-up-claimants-part-job-says-3537051

2) Former DWP Staff Set Up Website To Help Wrongly Sanctioned Jobseekers http://welfarenewsservice.com/former-dwp-staff-set-website-help-wrongly-sanctioned-jobseekers/

3) MPs 'Lying' About Benefit Sanction Targets, Says Whistleblower
 http://welfarenewsservice.com/mps-lying-benefit-sanction-targets-says-whistleblower/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+welfarenewsservice+%28Welfare+News+Service%29

4) A selection of especially stupid benefit sanctions http://dwpunspun.org.uk/sanctions

5) Press release from Sheila Gilmore MP: Work and Pensions Committee member slams overuse of benefits sanctions http://www.sheilagilmore.co.uk/press-release-from-sheila-gilmore-mp-work-and-pensions-committee-member-slams-overuse-of-benefits-sanctions/

6) DWP target mental health claimants for ESA sanctions
http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/2717-dwp-target-mental-health-claimants-for-esa-sanctions)


But there are a couple of caveats. The first, as Jorge Araya, Secretary of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, points out: "Please be aware that most if not all of the human rights mechanisms cannot base their findings and recommendations solely on media reports."

The second is that the UN lacks the statutory power to enforce the UNCRPD, although legally bound signatories to this international law usually comply with its judgements. (In many countries, the UNCRPD becomes domestically operational when it is made part of a national legislation.)

I am looking for any news articles, Hansard transcripts, reports and studies, videos, Parliamentary debates, personal testimonies and correspondence (permissions may have to be obtained) which pertain to or mention benefit-sanctioning and inappropriate benefit-sanctioning.  My e-mail address is: disabilityinliterature@gmail.com

Thanking you in advance for any assistance.

Samuel Miller

Thursday, August 7, 2014

An Inopportune Time

From my perspective, this is an inopportune time: UK Parliament is in summer recess; Navi Pillay completes her term as High Commissioner for Human Rights; and, Prince Zeid, who is currently Jordan's U.N. ambassador, begins his four-year term as U.N. human rights chief on September 1.  He will become the first U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights from the Muslim and Arab world and may be preoccupied with the Middle East conflict and its aftermath, in addition to the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

New "poverty" UN special rapporteurs have been appointed, and I will have to spend time familiarizing them with U.K.'s draconian welfare reforms, especially their harsh and punitive impact on sick and disabled people.

The UN special rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities will be appointed by the Human Rights Council, in September.  A 22-page letter, pointing out that cuts to social security benefits introduced by Iain Duncan Smith and enforced by his Department for Work and Pensions on behalf of the Coalition government may constitute a breach of the UK’s international treaty obligations to the poor, will also be discussed at a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council in New York, in September. It is signed by Raquel Rolnik, the former UN special rapporteur on adequate housing; Magdalena SepĂșlveda Carmona, the former UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty; and Olivier De Schutter, the former UN special rapporteur on the right to food.