Dear York… Speak Out!

Dear York...

We implore you to challenge the council's decision to exclude Blue Badge holders from the city centre. There are ways of meeting the council's goal whilst still allowing us access. To play the terror risk card misses that many recent attacks would not have been prevented by excluding us. We don't want to minimise the dreadful impact of the attacks, but keeping us out of our city would not have changed anything. To play the terror risk card is to expose their agenda. The terror risk will not be stopped because we cannot shop or bank in our city. But playing the terror risk card gives them carte blanche to give the economy, pavement cafes, priority over our human rights.

You may not think this affects you. A quarter of families include someone who's disabled. You might become disabled. You might have a friend or family member who becomes disabled. You may have a child who's disabled.

And it shouldn't be that you care because it affects you. It should matter that rights are being eroded. We are the tip of the iceberg. If our rights mean nothing, then yours won't either. First they come for the disabled, then the LGBT+ community. Then religion. And so on.

You should care because the narrative around disability has become that we are a burden. I hope you, reader, do not think that is the case. I give you the respect that you are wiser, more caring than that.

So please, speak up for us. Speak out. Tell people of our exclusion.

Society treating us this way should not go unchallenged.

Thank you,
Blue Badge holders of York

Thank you,
Disabled people of York

Thank you,
Blue Badge holders of the UK

Thank you,
Disabled people of the UK