Disability New Service: "MPs launch inquiry into online abuse of disabled people, following Katie Price petition"

[Andy]

Disability hate crime campaigners are to give evidence to MPs next month as part of a new inquiry into the online abuse of disabled people.

The Commons petitions committee has launched the investigation following a petition set up by former model Katie Price which was signed by more than 220,000 people.

Price’s petition called on the government to create a new criminal offence covering online abuse, and to set up a register of offenders.

She and her disabled son Harvey are to give evidence to the committee on 6 February about the disablist online abuse he has experienced.

Anne Novis, a leading disability hate crime campaigner and adviser on disability to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Metropolitan police, will also be giving evidence to the committee, as chair of Inclusion London.

Novis, also a coordinator of the Disability Hate Crime Network, plans to share details with MPs on the committee of Facebook sites that have been “set up to demean disabled people”, and of disablist attacks by some newspapers.

She also plans to raise concerns about government rhetoric around its social security reforms, which she said has demeaned disabled people, “giving permission to others to do the same online and elsewhere”.

She said that such rhetoric and abuse “must be challenged as totally unacceptable in today’s society”.

https://www.disabilitynewsservice.c...sabled-people-following-katie-price-petition/

So would unfounded claims of harassment and death threats, made by certain BPS researchers, count I wonder?

 

[Arnie Pye]

My impression is that abuse of the sick and disabled in all circumstances has grown throughout the last 25 - 30 years as a direct result of government propaganda tarring them (the sick and disabled) as workshy scroungers. As a result the government has made it acceptable for anyone who feels so inclined to abuse the sick and the disabled.

The idea of an inquiry into the problem being run by MPs strikes me as being a really sick joke.

 

[Trish]

The idea of an inquiry into the problem being run by MPs strikes me as being a really sick joke.

There are some decent MP's and some disabled ones who know what it's like from experience.

ETA: But I agree the Government are part of the problem with their repeated stuff about work being good for everyone and implied denigration of benefit claimants as work shy scroungers.

 

[Sean]

My impression is that abuse of the sick and disabled in all circumstances has grown throughout the last 25 - 30 years as a direct result of government propaganda tarring them (the sick and disabled) as workshy scroungers.

And a big thanks to the likes of Rupert Murdoch, and the Daily Mail, for their part in that.

 

[Revel]

There are some decent MP's and some disabled ones who know what it's like from experience.

Have you noticed how, as soon as an MP is diagnosed with a serious health issue or has an existing disability, they are spoken of by their peers and in the media as courageous and worthy of our admiration, coping with such adversity. Quite unlike those lazy ESA scroungers . . .

 

[Barry]

So would unfounded claims of harassment and death threats, made by certain BPS researchers, count I wonder?

Especially when those unfounded claims are actually to deflect valid constructive criticisms of science having such high impact on PwME.

 

[ukxmrv]

The petition and publicity seem to be trying to tackle trolls who attack individual disabled people. Yes, that is bad and many of us would have received attacks on the level but we need to be protected as a group in order to fight the PACE /SMC etc (as in a hate crime against race etc).

I've made complaints to newspapers over ME coverage but as they attack us a group and not as named individuals my complaints are brushed off.

 

[Invisible Woman]

Government rhetoric against the sick and disabled have played a massive part in how we are seen by society at large. All part of a campaign, as though they can penalize and shame us out of ill health and disability. It's clear to see how readily folk will jump on any old social media bandwagon to demonstrate how liberal and enlightened they are. Except when it comes to the sick and disabled - we 're just not glamorous enough.

Once again, it's a catch 22 that works against the sick and disabled: no recognition, no effective treatment, difficulty accessing benefits. Then those who are lucky enough to go out into the world, maybe even to attempt some work, will face discrimination, hostility, suspicion and abuse by society at large anyway......