Catalogue Number
NMLH.2024.46.1
Object Name
banner
Title
'Nothing About Us Without Us. Manchester DPAC.'
Place
Manchester
People
Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC)
Description
A white banner with a hand painted DPAC logo - a black downward pointing triangle with four fists extending from it, gripping a multi-coloured circle. In neon colours is the slogan 'Nothing About Us Without Us' to the right of the logo.
This banner was created by the Manchester branch of the disabled people's activist group Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC). DPAC was formed after the 3 October 2010 protest against austerity in Birmingham, England. This was the first mass protest against austerity cuts and the impact they had on disabled people. DPAC is led by disabled people. Their mission statement is: 'Disabled people should not be the scapegoats for the financial mistakes of governments, should not be constantly told that there is no money to support them by millionaire politicians. We will not tolerate further erosion of our living conditions or our human rights, nor will we sit quietly while they try to take our rights away.'
Austerity is a policy of reducing spending on public services, including those relied upon by disabled people to live full and independent lives. It was a major feature of the Conservative government's agenda led by David Cameron, beginning in 2010. The black triangle used by DPAC in their logo was a symbol used by the Nazis to mark out 'anti-social' and 'work-shy' people in concentration camps, a category that included Roma and Sinti people, homeless people, unemployed people who were viewed as evading work, and sex workers. This symbol has been used by disabled activist groups in the UK as they view government policies and rhetoric around forcing disabled people into employment to be deeming them as work shy rather than unable to work due to impairment or societal barriers.
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