Remembering John Evans OBE

I just re-discovered this gem of an interview with John from almost ten years ago - June 2016, to be precise, from right before the Brexit Referendum. Hardly ever have I seen John being so very serious about something, visibly containing his anger and upset and worries to bring his message across. And what he said back then, was and is so very right. To watch on YouTube, please follow this link:  Interview with John Evans OBE on Disabled People and the EU Referendum SPECTRUM Interview with John in 2016  

The recording of last week's online memorial event for John is available on YouTube now - for those who couldn't attend and for those who did but want to re-watch. Find the recording plus the video tributes on this channel: Remembering John Evans OBE   Thank you again to everyone who helped to make this happen! It was a wonderful, powerful reflection of John's remarkable life and his exceptional achievements. Please don't forget that you can still send tributes, pictures, other memories of John for this website if you want - we will continue to publish them. Jana Bleckmann-Evans and Ines Bulic Cojocariu from ENIL   "Remembering John Evans OBE - Celebrating Independent Living" (Screenshot)  

Remembering John Evans OBE I first had the pleasure of meeting John in the late 1980’s through my late partner, John Millar (aka ‘Jhalib’) – they were longstanding close friends and Sufi ‘brothers’ travelling widely together in the 1970’s. On 28 July 1988 I had the privilege of marching alongside John, and thousands of other disabled people and allies, in the British Council of Disabled People’s (BCODP) rally in London to challenge the government cuts in disability benefits. This campaigning, in which John was a driving force, led the government set up the new Independent Living Fund (ILF). I was, and remain, greatly inspired by John’s life and work as a pioneer of the Independent Living movement. At the time, of the BCODP rally, I was working as a dance artist, working closely with the D/deaf and disabled people’s community and arts scene, and was developing as a sign language interpreter, so I had a professional as well as a personal connection with him. I became closer to John fol...

Please follow this link to watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXU8GNGraE4   How this compilation came about ...  When Ines, John's friend and colleague from ENIL, and I set about to organise an online memorial event for John on the first anniversary of his passing, we were wondering how to pack as many tributes as possible into a limited amount of time. We were certain that there would be too many people who would want to contribute to include everyone as speakers during the actual event (and we were right!), but at the same time we certainly didn't want to exclude anyone either. The video compilation was the solution we came up with, and what we considered a compromise in the beginning, turned into a beautiful, colourful, very touching testimony of how special John was, how appreciated he was and how intense and meaningful the relationships were that he forged during his life. So, the compilation, which was first shown during the online memorial event on 13/01/...

I first met John around 1986 or early 1987 – nearly 40 years ago. I’d just started my first Job after leaving University working with Mike Oliver, who wanted me to meet some of the most important people in the Disability Movement. The first was Vic Vinkelstein, which was quite a scary experience but it couldn’t have been more different when I met John. It was in a pub somewhere in Hampshire and he was with Philip Mason and Neil Slatter and I remember it was a very relaxed and convivial atmosphere – just as it was every time I met John ever since then. In those early years both Philip and John were a great source of advice and inspiration and set me off on a long journey working on Independent Living, with John often either by my side or in the background. He remained a big support for all that time. While John was quietly inspirational what I remember most was actually his practical common sense. Whenever there was a problem or obstacle he would always talk it through calmly and though...

Please follow this link to watch the video tribute to John by his friend and colleague Jamie Bolling: https://youtu.be/woZcJrGu4Dg

Written on 12/01/2026   Dear Jana, I am truly saddened that I won’t be able to join John’s online celebration of his life and work, but I felt must let you know, as John has been so present in my thoughts these last few days. I’m sure you will have many contributors from those working with John, however sad that I cannot mark the earliest days with Project’81 back at the start. John was my last companion from those transformative times at Le Court. I look back on those days as a period when we were determined to challenge prevailing attitudes and dismantle barriers, all in pursuit of the simple, yet profound, goal of independent living. To lose John is to lose a vital connection to those daring early days of hope and activism. I miss him. I still remember our first encounter — it felt like the beginning of a new chapter in our lives. After my discharge from hospital, my parents were pressuring me into care at Le Court. It was in the rather stark setting of the East Wing that I met ...

Read out by Zeid during John's service on 13/02/2025 One of  John’s best qualities was his ability  to bring people together and utilise people’s strengths. And me speaking now is a perfect example of this, my mum, Alia, was asked to speak, but as I am sure John would know, mum is not much of a public speaker, so I am up here in her stead. Mum met John in 1984. She was the representative from Southampton at a Hampshire Centre for Independent Living committee meeting. This was the start of a 40-year friendship and the start of mum’s politicisation, which John played a key part in. Before long mum was joining John to help organise different political actions, such as the Rights Not Charity protest. Mum would drive to John’s, sleep on the futon and then they would head into London the next day to attend these organising meetings. A key benefit of staying at John’s being the cakes his mum would bake. John had vision of the world they were all working towards and the conviction and...

Remembering John Evans My friend and colleague John Evans was a paradox, a mystery, a living contradiction. Somehow John combined gentleness, practicality and unquestionable integrity in one person. I’ve known plenty of people who embody one of those characteristics but no one else with them all. I’m an atheist.   But at times I have wondered if perhaps John was an angel sent down to earth to show us lesser beings the full possibilities of our humanity.   I don’t need to say goodbye to John. Because every time I witness someone performing an act of gentleness John is there, every time someone asserts their rights, John is there and every time a group of disabled people reaches a consensus and goes forward John is there.     I really admired John. He was radical and had such integrity, but he was also pragmatic and practical. But most of all he was warm and wise. I remember the first time I meet John. He was working for the Department of Health, and I was at the ...

Some memories from the summer of 1991, sent by Dixi. These photos were taken during Dixi's first stay at John's - initially working as a PA, then turning into a friend ...  

Memorial Tribute for My Uncle My uncle was an extraordinary man — not only because he received an OBE for his tireless work improving the lives of disabled people, but because of the spirit with which he lived his own life. He fought not just for independence for himself, but for everyone — changing policies, challenging systems, and inspiring countless others to believe that independent living was possible. He showed determination, courage, and grace in everything he did, and to us, his family, he was a constant source of pride and love. But to me, he was also simply my uncle — funny, cheeky, and with a wicked sense of humour. Every Christmas, while he was still able to travel to Swansea, I made Christmas dinner for the family. I worked so hard to make it perfect for him. And every year, no matter how much effort I put in, he’d smile at me after the meal and say, “Well, Joanne, a beautiful dinner — but where was the homemade cranberry sauce?” So the next year, I made sure there was cr...

Our nephew Jonathan and his family - Sian, Declan, Drew and William - share the love for the Gower Peninsula in Wales with their Uncle John. They try to spend as much time there as possible, and to Jonathan, it is also a way of feeling close to John. The Gower was one of John's two favourite places anywhere in the world - the other one being his flat in Petersfield. Here are some recent pictures that Jonathan took around Rhossili Bay, which is part of the Gower. It is easy to feel the magic of the place. Jonathan asked me to share these photos with you in tribute to John and to add, "... just how much as a family we all loved him". He loved you too!   Rhossili, The Gower, Wales, 2025 - Photos by Jonathan Banfield  

My late husband Adolf Ratzka would have honored John on this site. Instead of him, here are just some short words from me. John and Adolf had the same passion for independent living and human rights for persons with disabilities and worked close together and contributed to change the life of a lot of disabled persons in Europe and worldwide. But also and even more important, they were close friends who respected one another a lot. They met regularly at different disability meetings mainly in Europe. I myself did not meet John that often, but it was always great to see him and I do not forget his warm kindness. First time I met John was in 1982 in Munich. The organisation I was working for at that time (Vereinigung Integrationsförderung, VIF) organized a conference to introduce the idea of Independent Living, which was very new in Germany at that time. Both John and Adolf were invited to talk and their speeches made a big impact. This, I think, was one of the starting points for the Ind...

My name is Vibeke Marøy Melstrøm. I am one of the founders of Uloba – Independent Living Norway. After 15 years I have just stepped down as the general secretary and now I serve as an special advisor to the management along with sitting at the board. I have also been a member of the board of ENIL, and served for a period as co-president. As someone who has spent many years immersed in this work, I have had the honor of crossing paths with some remarkable individuals—but few have left as profound a mark as John Daniel Evans. First Encounter: A Meeting That Set the Course When I try to recall the very first moment I met John Evans, the details blur—as is often the case after years of meetings, conferences, and collaborative work across Europe. It was likely during an ENIL (European Network on Independent Living) board meeting or perhaps at one of the early European conferences. While the specifics elude me, the impression John made did not. Even in those early days, his clarity of visi...

ENIL, John and me Some of my cherished memories of John are from our shared trips to ENIL gatherings. I was privileged to be at the inaugural ENIL conference in Strasbourg in 1989. John called me out of the blue one day and asked if I would like to go to Strasbourg with him, as a volunteer PA. I knew that a delegation from the UK was planning to go there, and I was excited at the prospect of being part of it. But I was cautious – I had never worked as a PA with John, I did not know how the demands of the trip might affect my epilepsy, and my French was very limited. John was unfazed – he was sure things would work out. So, we set off on the ferry from Portsmouth, with his friend Mike as our driver. We had a leisurely journey through France. John really liked to be spontaneous, so much so that he had not booked any accommodation for the trip; the first night saw us driving slightly anxiously through the outskirts of Rouen, looking for somewhere to stay. The Campanile we found was ...

I first had the privilege of meeting John in 2018 when I was working for Hampshire and IOW Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) as a Project Manager leading the rollout of Personal Health Budgets within NHS Continuing Healthcare.   I invited John to be a part of our PHB Steering Group and work with me and the team to redesign some of our documentation and processes. I had never worked directly with service users at this point in my career and was a little nervous and very inexperienced.   I remember feeling very in awe of John and his knowledge and experience and wanted very much to impress him.   John was very kind and patient, and I quickly grew very fond of him and used to look forward to seeing him at our Steering Group meetings.   Our connection grew as we formed the Hampshire CHC co-production group, and our monthly meetings would be a highlight for me and others in my team.   John had a way of making everyone in his presence feel welcome and relaxed and his...

Getting to know John in the end of 1979 - while working at LeCourt, where John lived at the time - changed my perspective of life. I experienced how it is possible to live life being true to personal values and staying authentic despite severe physical disability. That learning has stayed with me ever since. In 1981 John asked me to join him on his American trip - visiting 4 CIL's in 4 different states looking into independent living in the US. The trip revealed all the possibilities for living an independent life - and John saw his chances for making his dream come true. We were close for a long time while I was living in the UK - when I moved back to Denmark I kept following John's work and we stayed in touch over the years. I knew John as a powerful person who kept fighting for his rights to have a life chosen by himself - throughout his entire life. He was grounded by Welsh spirit and was always curious about other cultures and ways of life – very inspiring indeed. He was f...

John Evans attended our protest in 2008, urging the state to provide personal assistance and systematically regulate their right to independent living. He joined us on a march through Ljubljana, but when he arrived at the hotel room, he was met at the reception with a large envelope containing pictures from the protest he had participated in and a controversial YHD study. In this way, he practically experienced the power and methods of operation of the National Council of Disability Organizations in Slovenia. From that moment onward, we nicknamed the then-president among ourselves 'Čaušesku.'The controversial study was printed in both Slovenian and English and distributed to all relevant institutions in Slovenia and at the EU level in all key bodies dealing with disability issues. The cover featured the coat of arms of the Republic of Slovenia and was considered an official stance of the Republic of Slovenia or the Government Council for the Disabled.The YHD association sued th...