Christopher John Ball Fine Arts Photographer and Writer

Disabled People Campaigning And Fighting For Disability Rights.

In 2016 the 'UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities' undertook an unprecedented investigation into the UK Government and issued a preliminary report stating that there was evidence of ‘grave and systematic violations of disabled people’s human rights’. These images are drawn from the many demonstrations and campaigns undertaken by disabled people in the fight to stop the unprecedented removal of rights long fought for. More information can be found below these images.

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Demonstration by disabled people and carers outside ATOS offices, London 19th February 2014 - Photographs by Christopher John Ball
Part two of Demonstration by disabled people and carers outside ATOS offices, London 19th February 2014 - Photographs by Christopher John Ball
DPAC demonstration outside Department for Education, London. 4th September 2013 Photographs by Christopher John Ball
DPAC demonstration outside Department for Work and Pensions, London. 4th September 2013 Photographs by Christopher John Ball
DPAC Save the Independent Living Fund – Westminster Abbey Demo June 28th 2014 Photographs by Christopher John Ball
Boycott Workfare, DPAC and Mental Health Resistance Network - 4 March 2016 City Road Surgery, London
Boycott Workfare, DPAC and Mental Health Resistance Network - 4 March 2016 Road Block, Old Street, London - Photographs by Christopher John Ball
How DPAC celebrated Independent Living Day with an 'Independent Living Tea Party' 4th July 2014 Photographs by Christopher John Ball
DPAC demonstration and road block, London 4th July 2014 Photographs by Christopher John Ball
DPAC Art Show held at Tottenham Chances, London 31st August 2013 Photographs by Christopher John Ball
DPAC 'Trash The Tories' Demonstration 2017 General Election, London. 2nd May 2017 - Part One - Old Palace Yard - Photographs by Christopher John Ball
DPAC 'Trash The Tories' Demonstration 2017 General Election, London. 2nd May 2017 - Part Two - Road Block - Photographs by Christopher John Ball
DPAC 'Trash The Tories' Demonstration 2017 General Election, London. 2nd May 2017 - Part Three - March Towards Conservative Party HQ - Photographs by Christopher John Ball
DPAC 'Trash The Tories' Demonstration 2017 General Election, London. 2nd May 2017 - Part Four - Outside Conservative Party HQ - Photographs by Christopher John Ball
DPAC - Demonstration at Maximus Offices, London 2nd March 2015 - Photographs by Christopher John Ball
DPAC - Rights Not Games - A Week Of Action - September 4th-10th 2016 Westminster Bridge. the UK became the first country in the world to be investigated by the United Nations for grave and systematic violations of Disabled people’s rights. Photographs by Christopher John Ball - Part One
DPAC - Rights Not Games - A Week Of Action - September 4th-10th 2016 Westminster Bridge. the UK became the first country in the world to be investigated by the United Nations for grave and systematic violations of Disabled people’s rights. Photographs by Christopher John Ball - Part Two
DPAC - PIP Fightback. Day of Action Against PIP. 13th July 2013, London. Part One - March towards DWP Offices. Photographs by Christopher John Ball
DPAC - PIP Fightback. Day of Action Against PIP. 13th July 2013, London. Part Two - Outside DWP Offices. Photographs by Christopher John Ball
DPAC - PIP Fightback. Day of Action Against PIP. 13th July 2013, London. Part Three - Outside House of Commons, College Green. Photographs by Christopher John Ball
DPAC - International Deaf and Disabled People’s Solidarity Summit 22nd July 2018 Stratford, London
DPAC - Protest Against the PIP Changes - 7th March 2017 Westminster, London. Photographs by Christopher John Ball
DPAC Conference on ‘Disabled Peoples’ Resistance: Building Beyond Borders’ - 10th Sept 2016, London - Photographs by Christopher John Ball
DPAC - The National Disabled People’s Summit - 4th November 2017, London - Photographs by Christopher John Ball
DPAC - National Conference 12th APRIL 2014, London - Photographs by Christopher John Ball

"I rebel — therefore we exist." - Albert Camus

During its five years in office the Liberal Democrat/Conservative Coalition lied to the people, aided by a right wing media, about disabled individuals such as myself. The Coalition placed scapegoating at the heart of its social and economic policy. It is what fueled it, all part of its much trumpeted long term economic plan. And, despite their desperate attempts to spin it to us otherwise, the 'Coalition Agreement', under which the Liberal Democrats and Conservative Party imposed their austerity upon us, had no mandate from the electorate.

You may be OK with being lied to but I am not happy about being lied about; in fact, I am not sure I can survive it. I very nearly lost someone very close to me, who lives with hidden disabilities and for whom I am primary carer, to Coalition policy in 2013. People are being driven to take their own lives due to the impact of austerity measures that serve only to bail out those who caused the financial problems. You will find a list of those who have paid the ultimate price due to this pernicious Coalition Governments Austerity policy here ...do you think it a price worth paying?

Even though we are bearing the brunt of the cuts we have been patient, attempted to debate reasonably with an unreasonable Government, tried the legal process of the courts, forced debate in the House of Commons, Petitioned and yet all the lamentable Minister Iain Duncan Smith did was either ignore us, retrospectively changes laws when he lost, or resorted to lying about us. Successive DWP Ministers, including Esther McVey and Amber Rudd, have continued on the same pernicious path.

In 2016 the 'UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities' undertook an unprecedented investigation into the UK Government and issued a preliminary report stating that there was evidence of ‘grave and systematic violations of disabled people’s human rights’. In 2017 the same UN committee published its conclusions and stated that the UK Government had created a 'human catastrophe' for disabled people. The UK Government has ignored the UN and refused to act upon its recommendations. You can read more about this UN report at this link.

This is why, after patiently going through the aforementioned processes, we are finding ourselves forced to undertake more direct action. The photographs above are a record of that action. I am proud to be a member of Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) and I take part in these actions under that banner.

I have been critical of many a Government before but the Coalition was the first Government that I have actually been scared of....

...we have seen such attempts to label Disabled people as burdens upon society before...

‘Has it really come to this, in the United Kingdom of all places?’

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