Monday 7 March 2011

Left Out in the Cold



On the eve of the second reading of the government’s controversial Welfare Reform Bill on 9th March, this stark image of disabled campaigner Kaliya Franklin aims to convey in the most powerful way, how vulnerable some of the bills proposals will leave sick and disabled people across the UK.

Just like Franklin’s wheelchair in the image, social care and support will be left out of reach for many of those most in need if these reforms go ahead, literally leaving many “Out in the Cold.” The Left Out in the Cold Campaign  is the work of Broken of Britain who decided to use this one thought provoking image to make their point. The sick and disabled are often left voiceless in society, and they hope that the use of a single picture might reflect this.

Please share this image everywhere. Once again, you can use the Facebook and Twitter buttons on this site, send it to your MP, or send it to those who don't yet know about the cuts to sickness and disability support. This link : http://thebrokenofbritain.blogspot.com/2011/03/left-out-in-cold-press-release.html is the press release as it was sent to me and contains all the information about tomorrow's bill and the areas we will be opposing. 

I hope there won't be anyone in the country who hasn't seen this picture by the end of today.



19 comments:

  1. From where i live sue in crawley i regret to say the people there by and large don't care about the sick and disabled and despite my very bests efforts to get them to change their mind i have failed

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  2. You've never failed until you stop trying. If you've done your best, you still didn't fail as you never know which pebble caused the ripple that made the difference.

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  3. I just keep thinking, my God she must have been cold. I hope that wasn't taken anytime recently. Hopefully during the summer during one of our rare heat-waves.

    Sorry, excuse me getting distracted from the message. Will now actually share the picture.

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  4. Thanks Stephen - did you miss the snow on the ground there? Lol

    Haven't forgotten I challenged you either - did you get message?

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  5. Good grief, I didn't realise that was snow. My goodness, it makes me feel cold just looking at it.

    Yes I did. I replied saying that I am pretty unusual for my age-group, being a politically active, privately educated, liberal, conservative Christian who spent a lot of the last 4 years campaigning for better treatment for refugees and asylum seekers and caring for a physically disabled and mentally ill girlfriend. I could give my perspective on what went wrong with Labour, but I couldn't really claim to speak for any group more broad than myself.

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  6. I keep thinking - I hope someone helped her up!
    Poor thing - I love her saying though...

    “It’s vital we all remember we are just an accident or illness away from becoming disabled.'' Kaliya Franklin

    Hope everyone signs this
    http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/03/welfare-reform-bill-letter/comment-page-1/#comment-96413

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  7. I truly admire your confidence sue as you'll need it with David Cameron and IDS so far on the right if they move any further to the right they would fall off

    They are very powerful and wealthy and will not be changing there view point any time soon if at all believe me

    And with labour staying quite that's not a good sign at all it looks like were doomed and for the life of me can't think of a way forward there may be one but i haven't a clue and at 55 years of age that's bad news

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  8. She looks like she needs a bit of sun.

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  9. We Lib Dems believe reducing petrol tax is far more important than helping the disabled.

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  10. She does Philip - almost blue bless her.

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  11. Who's that clown posting Anonymously ? sounds like he's from crawley where i live

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  12. Can you disable that sue people posting Anonymously ? i know some like to keep private but you also get a lot of fools stopping by

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  13. @ Philip Robbins. Sir, Kaliya has pale fragile translucent skin a common feature in those with the devastating condition Kaliya has as I have myself, it is known as Ehlers Danlos. As such perhaps what was intended as a joke is a comment that is somewhat offensive to me anyhow. I am sure you meant no offence but the old saying don't judge a book by its cover comes to mind.

    Ehlers Danlos is a condition which if severely affected causes the sufferor to live a life in pain. The disabling effects of the condition are chronic and lifelong.

    People with EDS have trouble stabilising their core body temperature. Kaliya may have been close to hyperthermia. I expect her fragile Ehlers Danlos skin suffered. I can only commend her for her continued drive in raising public awareness of the devastating effects that the proposed changes to DLA will have on the disabled of Britain.

    Thank you Kaliya.

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  14. Achelois - Thanks for explaining about Ehlers Danlos.

    To be fair though, Kali is lying on a beach in the snow. I think Philip made a little quip most thought when they saw her.

    Not offensive surely if the intention was to educate in the first place?

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  15. BG has already said that the image has been manipulated so she is in black-and-white and therefore looks the way she does.

    Artistic impression - not always to be taken literally, but for the overall feeling to be taken as a statement.

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  16. Let's all just really hope that there is enough compassion left in our democratically elected parliament to kick this awful bill into touch. I cannot believe there is such an uncaring attitude within this coalition government.

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  17. Lib Dem Housing Benefit reforms are encouraging disabled people to take work. If disabled do not work, they can live in psychiatric hospitals or beg from passing cars like they do in India.

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  18. Are you trying to be tongue in cheek Anon? If so your posts provoke a lot of thought and if not then your posts are backfiring.

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  19. THERE IS NO MORE MONEY.
    Deal with it.
    The reality is that every pressure group, every charity is creaking - there never HAS been, and never WILL be enough money for all the bleeding heart causes people espouse. Ted Heath's pay policy didn't sort out the economic mess of the Seventies, and neither did Labour's 98% marginal tax rate.
    Margaret Thatcher could do arithmetic, and so can David Cameron. THERE IS NO MORE MONEY!

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