On June 18, more than a hundred Disabled People gathered outside Downing Street to show support for the Disabled Persons (Independent Living) Bill which was being debated in the House of Lords.
The rally was organised by Our Lives, Our Choices which is a consortium of disability organisations including NCIL. The rally was addressed by Lord Ashley of Stoke and Roger Berry MP who are sponsoring the bill.
A small delegation which included Sue Bott from NCIL and Robert Droy from SCIL were then allowed to deliver a banner with testimony from many Disabled People to the door of 10 Downing Street.
Roger Berry then hosted a reception at Portcullis House for many of the rally participants where there were further speeches of support from the Equal Opportunities Commission, Carers UK, and the National Pensioners Forum. Baroness Jane Campbell of Surbiton also gave a rousing speech to her fellow ‘freedom fighters’ to carry on the campaign.
A successful day was tinged with sadness following the news that Roy Webb from NCIL who had been instrumental in organising the Our Lives, Our Choices campaign had died on June 15.
SPECTRUM Centre for Independent Living CIC 