Clifford Ellen - The War on Disabled People

About the author

Ellen Clifford is a disabled activist who has worked within the disability sector for over years. She currently serves on the National Steering Group for Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC).

THE WAR ON DISABLED
PEOPLE

Capitalism, Welfare and the Making of a
Human Catastrophe

ELLEN CLIFFORD

The War on Disabled People: Capitalism, Welfare and the Making of a Human Catastrophe was first published in 2020 by Zed Books Ltd, The Foundry, Oval Way, London SE RR, UK.

www.zedbooks.net

Copyright Ellen Clifford 2020

The right of Ellen Clifford to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 .

Typeset in Bulmer by Swales and Willis Ltd, Exeter, Devon
Cover design by Alice Marwick
Cover photo Vandervelden/Getty Images

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of Zed Books Ltd.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN -- 78699 -- hb
ISBN -- 78699 -- pb
ISBN -- 78699 -- pdf
ISBN -- 78699 -- epub
ISBN -- 78699 -- mobi

For Debbie and Linda

Contents

This book would not have existed had Ken Barlow, then at Zed Books, not first approached me in 2018 to kick-start the project. The biggest thanks must go to him. Thanks also to editor Kim Walker from Zed, who has been remarkably patient and reassuring, and to editors Sue Lascelles and Judith Forshaw for their assiduous efforts.

A special acknowledgement is needed for my co-thinker, Mark Dunk, for all the debates, discussions and political analysis that helped with the formation of a number of arguments in this book, and to him and Karen Grayson as well as Camilla Royle, Andy Greene, Bob Ellard and Linda Burnip for looking over my drafts. The impact of my impairment has meant that, on my best days, getting each word out required an effort that felt like pushing through a fog of self-doubt the worst days felt more like having to punch them through a wall. This could not have been done without your belief and encouragement. The book has also benefited from valuable discussions with Eileen Short, Nicola Field, Rebecca Yeo, Roger Lewis and Rosa Morris, and input from Roddy Slorach. All errors are my responsibility.

A huge debt of thanks to my family, including all six parents, for the support necessary for doing this. I am extremely lucky to have had the opportunity. Also: Polly, Benny, Mark B., Justin, Una, Myla, Avril, Ethan, Anne, Nick, Jacob, Sam, Harry, Jane and, of course, Smudge.

Thanks for all the help, insights, inspiration and comradeship from within the Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) activist network. There are too many inspirational fighters to name and in the current climate of surveillance it is dangerous to do so but personal thanks in particular to Andy M., Annie, Arjun, Catherine, Cathy, Denise, Ellen M., Jen, John K., Keith, Linda, Mark H., Mary-Ellen, Miriam, Nathan, Nicky, Paula, Peter, Rob, Sarah and Sean. Thanks also to comrades in South East London and South London SWP districts, and friends from Ruskin House in Croydon. Together we are stronger!

John Pring of Disability News Service requires a special mention for his tireless and invaluable work since 2010 . Thanks to Frances Ryan for the great peer support as someone with personal experience of the barriers to writing as a disabled working-class woman; also to Liz Carr for first introducing me to the social model of disability in a training room in Coventry many moons ago!

Thanks for the amazing help with accessing articles and support from Daniel Edmiston and Michael Orton.

The book was written from my home on the Downham Estate in south-east London. Throughout the process I benefited from the public library, swimming pool and community parks. We must keep up the fight for our public services.

This book is dedicated to Debbie Jolly and Linda Burnip as co-founders of DPAC but also to all the disabled activists and friends who have been taken from us too soon since 2010 including Debbie herself, but also Katherine Araniello, Stephen Aselford, Nick Danagher, Robert Dellar, Debbie Domb, Eleanor Firman, Patrick Lynch, Juliet Marlow, Sophie Partridge and Christian Wilcox. Each of them has left an unfillable hole but their memories encourage us to go on.