Disabled People's Direct Action Network

[1] In 1989 the Derbyshire Direct Action Now Network (DDANN) was formed by local disabled people to protest against the pedestrianisation of Chesterfield.

Its organisers included Ruth Bashall,[5] Kate Brown, Tracey Proudlock, Sue Elsegood, Victoria Waddington and Allan Sutherland as the press officer.

The workshop was led by visiting activists Mike Auberger and Babs Johnson from ADAPT, and it finished with the practical learning of going out and blocking three buses on the main road nearby.

[6] On 22 November 1991 in Leeds a protest by 150 disabled people and allies outside the BBC studios picketed the Children in Need live broadcasting under the banner of Rights Not Charity Group.

A national committee of disabled people existed for most of DAN's active years, including many of the regional organisers.

In early 1993, Barbara Lisicki, Alan Holdsworth, and Sue Elsegood became founders of the Disabled People's Direct Action Network (DAN).

[7][10] The idea was to build on and sustain the campaigning energy from the Block Telethon protest organised by the Campaign to Stop Patronage, and in spring 1993 a weekend residential conference was held by about 16 interested disabled people using the guest rooms in the grounds of the Disabled Drivers Association at Ashwellthorpe Hall near Norwich.

[11] The first public action by DAN was in July 1993 in Christchurch after a Parliamentary by-election was called, and the Conservative candidate, tipped to win, had previously in the House of Commons prevented new disability rights legislation from becoming law.

[21][22][23] Other protest locations included the Nottinghamshire constituency office of Chancellor Kenneth Clarke, Harrods, and the Tate Gallery.

As well as being shown on UK national news, the protest details and images went around the world, including the front page of the New York Times.

In 1995 the TV documentary Desperate DAN , produced by Rave Productions Ltd, was broadcast as part of the Over the Edge series of BBC disability programming.