1990 First Telethon Protest, London

About

This photo is from the first protest against Telethon, on 27 May 1990. It was held outside London Weekend Television studio, South Bank, London, where the programme was being filmed. To the right of the Birmingham banner are Sian Vasey and Vic Finkelstein.

Telethon was a nationally broadcasted fund-raising programme, similar to the BBC’s Children in Need. Disabled people objected to the use of images and language that made disabled people and others the objects of pity. The programme also raised money for international charities and used similar footage from other countries.

 

Description

A colour photo. 14 people are spread out in a line on the pavement in front of tall metal fencing. Beyond the fence is a car park with a building behind it.

Banners and placards are placed on and against the metal fencing. Identifiable banners, left to right:

‘Birmingham Disability Rights Group’ on a white sheet in multi-coloured block capitals. Birmingham in purple, disability rights in red.

Off centre right ‘Armley Resource Centre’ in red block capitals on a blue background.

Far right ‘Winvisible’, with writing and a logo which are difficult to see. The logo is a circle around a stick figure and a woman symbol. The banner is green with black writing and logo.

Partially visible above the Winvisible banner. A blue background with black letters ‘brave spec’ and ‘but angry’ in red. Then ‘at to p’ with the rest plus another full line obscured.

There are placards attached to the fence.

Above and to the right of the Birmingham banner. ‘We Demand Rights Not Charity’, in multi-coloured letters on a white background.

Between Armley and Winvisible. ‘Don’t Call Us We’ll Call You’, in black block capitals on cardboard.