Dr Dawn Cavanagh

On Friday, we had a great first meeting with a new oversight group - people with learning disabilities, autistic people & family carers. They will be giving feedback on our team's research. We've been calling them the Critical Friends group, but watch this space - they're working on a better name!

Unsuccessful Application for Permission to Appeal By Claire Martin, 19th May 2025 In May 2024, a year ago, Amanda Hill blogged about this case: “The protected party in this case (“L”) is a man in his twenties with “significant learning disability”…

Wales

‘It had felt like David and Goliath.’

Didn’t know about JR, accusations against her unfounded, up against experienced barristers.

No level playing field, no justice.

A son who continues to be inappropriately placed, far from home.

openjusticecourtofprotection.org/2025/05/19/u...

Museum of the Second World War, Gdansk, Poland.

Aktion T4.

The caption to these pictures discuss the cost to the state of the annual keep up of people with disabilities.

@teamlabouruk.bsky.social

Mental health law 'won't stop detentions' Campaigners warn new mental health law will not reduce detention of disabled people in secure hospitals.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Protest brings anger at failure to act on ‘homes not hospitals’ plea to government’s front door The Labour government has “betrayed” autistic people and people with learning difficulties who have been abused and abandoned in mental health institutions, activists told a protest in front of the…

www.disabilitynewsservice.com/protest-brin...

Wales and north of England face disability cuts ‘double whammy’

Should benefit claimants risk having their bank accounts spied upon and driving licences revoked? I don’t think so | Neil Duncan-Jordan

The SHRC appeared before the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee to discuss their report. The detention of people with LD and autism is a human rights issue. Their work here regarding the CRPD and HR Act is so important.

www.scottishhumanrights.com/blog/tick-to...

‘Every day she begs for help’: Father fights for daughter to be freed from hospital Exclusive: Government will miss target to get people with learning disabilities out of hospital by more than 8 years

www.independent.co.uk/news/health/...

2. We need less hospitals in Wales and more, better quality community-based care.
Stolen Lives will continue to fight on this issue and will always remain true to its values: 'Homes not Hospitals.'

1. It has been one year since Stolen Lives protested outside the Senedd.
Detention of people with learning disabilities and autistic people is a human rights issue. It results in harm, abuse and long-term trauma.

I should have tagged @dawnc05.bsky.social in this thread! Thank you Dawn 👏

Absolutely brilliant talk by @dawnc05.bsky.social today at @learningmet.bsky.social. Not easy to listen to the awful experiences she shares, but so in awe of the Dawn’s commitment to challenge and protest.

Stolen Lives, activism and the role of academia in defending human rights The Learning Disability & Autism Research Group at Manchester Met welcome guest speaker Dr Dawn Cavanagh.

Speaking about Stolen Lives at MMU on April 9th.

In person and online.

You can sign up here.

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/stolen-liv...

We are very pleased to share our refreshed project website with our new information toolkit resources to support people with learning disabilities with mental health medications www.medmentalhealth.net @profkrc.bsky.social @dawnc05.bsky.social @learningmet.bsky.social @chrishutchrnld.bsky.social

Labour's historic attack on disabled people is already wrecking lives. Just ask Kevin | John Harris

@mrjamesob.bsky.social 4 point element is not for consultation.

#StolenLives says NO to cuts
#DisabilityBenefits #WelfareNotWarfare

People with learning disabilities and their families are already struggling.

People are hospitalised because services and support are not there.

Please do not make an already bad situation worse.

Great to be part of this collaboration.

Epistemic violence can damage the ability of autistic people and people with learning disabilities who have experienced solitary confinement to speak and be heard.

It deserves to be exposed and seen for what it is.

www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Councils and NHS could face millions in extra costs due to disability benefit cuts Government plans for Pip cuts will drive up costs for local authority social care services and NHS, campaigners warn

Don’t let any one tell you that cutting disability benefits is about making “savings.” www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Diolch yn fawr, Carol! ❤️

Sign the Petition #SaveStephen: Stop His Eviction from Old Orchard Care Home Due to Funding Cuts

www.change.org/p/savestephe...

Drastic cuts to PIP will affect as many as 1 million disabled and ill people, pushing them into severe hardship, worsening physical and mental health, and isolation. There is no credible argument for pulling help from people shouldering the high costs of disability. Cruelty dressed up as reform.

But Reeves herself seems in no mood to back down. In an interview on BBC Breakfast this morning, where she was responding to the growth figures, Reeves was asked about the plans for welfare cuts. She replied: We will set out our plans for welfare reform, but it is absolutely clear that the current system is not working for anyone. It is not working for people who need support, it’s not working to get people into work so that more people can fulfil their potential, and it’s not working for the taxpayer when the bill for welfare is going up by billions of pounds in the next few years. So, we do need to get a grip. We need to spend more on national defence, but we need to reform our public services, and we need to reform our broken welfare system.

One more time for ministers at the back: it’s entirely possible to be a taxpayer and to receive benefits.

As someone currently in the mid-tax band and on PIP, I’m more than happy for my earnings to help people who can’t work - and to pick up the state support I’m entitled to.

But the disabled can go throw themselves under a bus.

NO cruel cuts to benefits The Government is planning “catastrophic” cuts that experts say will force disabled people into poverty. Don’t think that’s right? Add your name now.

act.38degrees.org.uk/act/no-cruel...

Add your name 📢 Cuts to disability benefits would be catastrophic

campaigns.scope.org.uk/page/165719/...

Balancing the books cannot come at the expense of those who can least afford it

If you are concerned about these planned cuts please Contact your MP now and ask them not to support this appalling plan - now is the time to lobby the government to step back from this before it’s too late

YouTube video by Doughty Street Chambers A deep dive into the Mental Health Bill 2024 - Autism and learning disability

In case you haven’t seen it yet, here is the video of the webinar about the Mental Health Bill that we co-hosted with Oliver Lewis at Doughty Street Chambers last week.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM53...

People with learning disabilities are being neglected in homes run by one of the UK’s largest private care companies, with one vulnerable resident filmed eating out of a bin and another left with an untreated infection causing his foot to rot.

www.itv.com/news/2025-03...