Deafblind people and families march together in the biggest ever gathering of disabled people
11 May 2011
An estimated 5,000 disabled people, family members and supporters marched in London yesterday to take part in the Hardest Hit march and lobby of Parliament to protest against government cuts to benefits and services. About 2,000 people had arranged to meet their MPs to highlight their individual concerns.
Thirty deafblind people and families gathered in Church House in Westminster before the march. This was a chance for people to catch up, meet others for the first time and discuss their concerns.
The group then headed over together for the speeches before the march, which some people felt really summed up their worries. The Sense group then marched together, except for Terry Gilbert, who represented us at the very front of the march. The group chanted ‘they say cut back, we say fight back’ along with rest of the crowd.
Following the march, half of the group met their MPs to tell them how the cuts will impact on their own lives and the lives of deafblind people. They met MPs from across the three main parties, including two who sit on the Work and Pensions Select Committee (who scrutinise the Government’s welfare policies). Following the march, others are hoping to meet their MP locally.
After the march and meetings with MPs, people came back to Church House where there was a real sense of solidarity and a feeling that people weren’t alone in the challenges they face.
People said they were glad to have attended and some were quite emotional at different points. For some it was their first time demonstrating or the first time they had met their MP.
There was extensive media coverage of the event in newspapers, TV and radio, which included quotes from deafblind people and mentions for Sense.