Lefty Pinkoes

1 Jul 2014

Jeremy Hawkes and Save ABC Ramp Up with Madeline Sobb

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It’s a HUGE week for disabled Australians and the Lefty Pinkos crew go to town on disability and politics.

The ABC disability website Ramp Up closed its doors on June 30; over last weekend the Federal Government announced unwelcome changes to the Disability Support Pension; while people with disabilities and Deaf people are still reeling from cutbacks to services, medical costs increases, changes to the age criteria for disability benefits via the recent Federal Budget, as well as being called bludgers/scroungers etc in popular media.

Crip Power! In the studio we have out and proud Freak and co-host Kath Duncan – wearing 2 hats; bryan is BACK!!!!! – and we invite artist and activist Jeremy Hawkes to join in.

Jeremy Hawkes has been an artist since he was a child and was a sculptor of large works until a work injury revealed that Jeremy had a degenerative spinal condition which would change his life forever. It has certainly changed his arts practices but Jeremy says he is now seeing opportunities arise from the unpredictable fruitful creations of his new shifting body.

We also get Save ABC Ramp Up member Madeline Sobb on the line to report from the Ramp Up protest the day before outside the ABC offices in Melbourne. Madeline tells us what the Ramp Up site meant to her and the community in general and how the struggle continues.

Bryan and Kath reveal how the personal is political, and the political personal in this landmark show.