Remembering John Evans OBE

John showed us a new meaning to the idea of care. Path finder John seemed like a pioneer to me, but not the kind who plants a flag and claims the territory for himself. He was a pioneer in the sense of opening paths and then inviting others to travel with him. From his lived experience of institutional living and then self-directed support, he helped build the very foundations of what we now take for granted as the movement for and concept of ‘independent living.’ Yet he never treated it as his private achievement. For John, freedom was a collective endeavour. Bridge builder What also impressed me was how he chose his battles. He believed in campaigning NGOs, user-led groups and networks but he understood that real change for disabled people would be messy, negotiated, sometimes incremental, and that it required coalitions wider than any one organisation. In that way he modelled a politics of ‘rebellious cooperation’ rather than conformity. People close to John could see the cost he pa...

Remembering John Evans OBE – Celebrating Independent Living When I think of John, the first thing that comes to mind is his unwavering commitment to disability rights. He was steadfast in his campaigning and uncompromising in his defence of justice for disabled people. John never shied away from speaking truth to power, and he never watered down his message. Yet, what made him truly remarkable was that he combined this fierce determination with a warmth and affability that drew people to him—even those we might have considered our political foes. He showed that it was possible to be principled without being hostile, and that made him not just respected, but deeply admired. For me, John was more than just a campaigner. He was a shining example of what really mattered—integrity, courage, and compassion. He taught me so much about what disability leadership should look like, not in an abstract way, but through the way he lived and led every day. From him, I learned how to make the case fo...

 

Written on 31/01/2025 & 01/02/2025 Read out by Tracy during John's service on 13/02/2025      To John from Jana John, my dearest, most wonderful husband, my favourite Welshman, I love you. I love you. I love you. I miss you so much. If only I could hear you talk to me again. I always knew that if I was ever going to get married, it would be to a special man. Little did I know how very special that man would be! The most beautiful soul, the strongest will, the sharpest mind, the most intense voice, the biggest heart, the gigantic zest for life – all this was you, and I simply cannot understand how you, who you were so full of life and energy, how you can be gone. Even towards the end, when your energy slowly faded, you would still fight to get better and fitter. It was this incredible willpower, this hunger for life, that defined you. It was what made you survive your accident at just 25, it was what made you turn your injury into something positive, into a lif...

John at Spectrum CIL Southampton, November 2024    Rowland's Funeral Services John Pring, Disability News Service (16 January 2025): "John Evans: Death of independent living pioneer leaves 'massive gap' and vital legacy" European Network on Independent Living (17 January 2025): "In Memory of John Evans OBE (1950 - 2025)"   Social Care Institute for Excellence (4 July 2025): "A tribute to John Evans: A pioneer of independent living and co-production"

25/05/1950 - 13/01/2025 John in Emsworth, October 2024 This site is dedicated to the memory of John Daniel Evans OBE - disability rights campaigner, freedom fighter, wonderful human being. Please check back regularly as the site is slowly filling up with photos, videos and texts from and about John.