23 March 2012

Disabled asylum seekers created a mural for their messages to be heard in the heart of Bristol.

What: The Disability Murals Project worked with disabled asylum seekers in Bristol to create a mural highlighting the barriers and state violence disabled asylum seekers face. This includes having ‘no recourse to public funds’ (including being excluded from the welfare system), homelessness, forced dispersal across the UK, no money for accessible transport, massive stress and anxiety caused by the conditions imposed by the UK Borders Agency, and the constant fear of being detained and deported.

Why significant: The project found that many Disabled People’s Organisations had little awareness of the asylum system, and few disabled asylum seekers knew about the existence of the disability movement.