Grumpy Old Deafies

Oh jeesh! I've no idea who the guy is but the woman in the middle is Clair from DAN, and I am the one standing up on the right. A few hundred of us blocked Trafalgar Square for an hour or so after the 2003 BSL march (which was celebrating BSL "recognition" and demanding something more firm that would give us equal language rights/protection etc).

Shortly after the photo was taken, I chained myself to Clair's wheelchair and sat on the road next to her. The guy disappeared, leaving us blocking the northwards route into Trafalgar Square by ourselves. However, our friend Richard got into trouble on the other side of the road, so Clair got out of her wheelchair and went to see if he was OK, leaving me sitting in front of the taxi, chained to her empty wheelchair, all by myself (it was a bad idea to chain myself to the wheel..!).

Soon after, the cops came along and cut me off, picked me up and put me in the wheelchair, assuming it was mine. I tried to tell them it wasn't my wheelchair but there was no interpreter so that didn't work. They made the mistake of dangerously picking me up IN the wheelchair, and carried me off the road. See Hear showed me shouting "IT'S NOT MY WHEELCHAIR! PUT ME DOWN!" in mid-air...!

So that's the story behind the photo. Oh, and the DEAF POWER T-shirt was hand made by me!

Richard, on the other hand, was hurt that day by the cops, which is another Photo Friday story. I'd like to tell it...

jen

J - wasn't that the 2001 march? There wasn't a road block in 03, as it was a "celebration".

Nice account of the story behind the picture. :)

ummmmm

I feel old! TBH I can't remember, as there were too many roadblocks and demos and whatever. You are probably right. Actually, yes. It was 2001. Well done(!)

Am told the guy on the left is Scott Coalwood, from Derby.