Let us honour and remember those who continue to be dishonoured and forgotten.

This is a virtual, holocaust memorial to disabled people; as such it has no place or location, yet. We would like a series of these across the world to commemorate disabled people and to recognise the atrocities done and continuing to be done against us; these should have public recognition. We should have a public existence of our choosing.

Ann Whitehurst

Dr Paul Darke & Ann Whitehurst give seminars and talks on Disability and the Holocaust.

De Montfort University

UK Holocaust Memorial Day, Granada

ICA



Remember those disabled people forcibly made absent from our world and theirs in the past and the present.

Holocaust Memorial

Characterised as "life unworthy of life" disabled people, starting with disabled children, were the first group to be systematically murdered by the German fascist regime in their official pogrom between 1939 to 1941. This was after many years of official, legalised persecution. Allowing the persecution of disabled people led directly to the slaughter of millions of other peoples later.

Killing centres were first established for the genocide of disabled people. Gas chambers in these centres and mobile gassing vans were, also, first developed for, and their use perfected on, disabled people. The personnel, thus trained, were sent to all the other killing camps.

The rational for the extermination of disabled people became that used to allow the state ordered killing of all other groups, cultures and races of people. A rationale developed from eugenic theories, given support by nations such as Britain, Switzerland and the USA well before this era and continuing.

It perpetuated the denigration of disabled people and a hatred and fear of their very existence. It was promulgated by widespread propaganda, including in films and school text books, for many years beforehand.

The attempted annihilation of disabled people in the early period are thought to have led to the deaths of between 200,000 to 275,000. Records for later murders, experiments and starvations in slave labour camps were altered or destroyed so it will never be known how many lives were not lived or were permanently crushed by brutal treatments.

The silence, lack of reparation and even the denial of dignity by been given remembrance persists for these people, a People of Difference.

The devaluing of one life opens the way for anyone to be devalued to the point of being "life unworthy of life."

Belief in and holding fast to equality is the only chance of survival for any of us.

Let go of normality, which these things are done to make us comply with.
Rise to be the Person of Difference you are; Different And Of Equal Value.

They still come for the death and destruction of disabled people in every country, every community; often they call it 'mercy.'

They still come and ask for charity to imprison and hide us away in institutions or keep us in neglect in our homes; our lives and death controlled by others. Do not stand for the continuation of extermination policies against disabled people. Stop the extermination now.


The text above is part of a research project developed by Ann Whitehurst.