The ATOS Games

Post written by Lucy Stokes

Between 27th and 31st August 2012, Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) have organized the ATOS Games, a week of protest actions against ATOS — a controversial company who are one of the major sponsors of the Paralympics.

ATOS are currently in receipt of a £100 million contract from the government to assess around 11,000 disabled people per week, putting ATOS in the position of deciding whether to throw disabled people off much needed state aid. They are in the process of deeming many people fit for work by using a callous computer program, and training their staff to revoke as many people’s benefits as possible.

The government admit that the disability tests being utilised by ATOS are fundamentally flawed, and even the otherwise conservative British Medical Association call for the immediate end of their use. However, the government simply don’t care for such criticisms as they are pursuing a violent ideological agenda directed against disabled people (and everyone else) to a time before the welfare system was created.

The week of action isn’t a criticism of the Paralympics and the people taking part in it, but instead is aimed at emphasising the hypocrisy of ATOS, who in the near future may be taking away the benefits from the very people who will soon be winning medals for team GB; devastating many people’s lives. Indeed, sadly many individuals have already committed suicide due to ATOS’s inhumane testing programme, and so far over 1,000 people have died not long after being deemed ‘fit for work’.

You can join the ATOS Games whichever way you can: whether it’s on the streets, on the phone, or online. Furthermore, DPAC will make every effort to ensure that disabled people who can’t travel to the Games but will be able to participate in different and accessible ways.

ATOS Games Schedule

Monday 27th:  The holding of a spoof Paralympics award ceremony.

Tuesday 28th:  Visiting your local ATOS office to let the public know about their hypocrisy.

Wednesday 29th:  A coffin full of peoples messages about ATOS will be delivered to its doorsteps.

Thursday 30th:  Flooding ATOS with calls of protest to let them know what you think, supplemented by the creation of a twitter storm.

Friday 31st:  DPAC will be teaming up with UK Uncut for the weeks Grand Finale in London where they’ll be undertaking an audacious, daring and disruptive action, making sure it can’t be missed by the national media.

More info about the games can be found on the Disabled People Against the Cuts website. http://www.dpac.uk.net/