Disabled protest budget cuts in London

Thousands of people walked or wheeled Wednesday past the Houses of Parliament in what organizers called the largest protest by the disabled in British history. The crowd was swelled by family members, aides and advocates, The Guardian reported. The Hardest Hit march was called to protest cuts in benefits for the disabled. Actress Jane Asher, president of several charities, including the National Arthritis Foundation, described reductions in mobility aid and other benefits as "cruel and misguided." "This is the largest rally of disabled people in living memory, and that's something to be proud of," she told the crowd.  "At the same time, it is very sad that it has come to this." About 2,000 people signed up to speak to their members of Parliament, organizers said. Julie Fernandez, an actress featured in "The Office" and a wheelchair user, called the film industry discriminatory for casting non-disabled actors to play the disabled. She said employers generally do not want to hire the disabled, especially in a recession. "They see us as people who are going to be taking time off sick or who aren't intelligent enough," Fernandez said. "They should stop penalizing disabled people and start making the business community and public transport more accessible."