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Recreating Orwell's journey

80 years after George Orwell went on The Road to Wigan Pier, we recreated his journey reporting on how thing have changed. Click on areas on the interactive map to discover the area-by-area picture.

The People

It's getting harder for people with disabilities to get work

Read Brendan's story
 

I'm going blind but have to job search online

Read Darren's story
 

If you're disabled it's hard to get employers to give you a chance

Read Zoe's story
 

I try and live on £317 a month

Read Raftaz's story
 

My flat is so small there's no room for a double bed

Read Ossie's story
 

I'm going to have a breakdown if I don't get a job soon

Read Nasreen's story
 

I had my own hotel but now I'm without a permanent job

Read Hassan's story
 

I was homeless with four children

Read Helen's story
 

I'm a student but work so I can help my parents pay the bills

Read Daniel's story
 

The system is designed to make people give up

Read Eddy's story
 

Education changed my life but cuts will mean others miss out

Read Jo's story
 

I thought about killing myself every day

Read Emma's story
 

As a GP I helped patients with benefits but after a stroke I'm struggling myself

Read Dr's story
 

Education crisis is killing social mobility and shutting the poorest out

Read Rhiannon's story
 

We're going back to Victorian times where the disabled were hidden away

Read Sandra's story
 

Immigration has changed Birmingham for the better since Orwell's day

Read Sheila's story
 

My PIP assessment is coming up and I'm bricking it

Read Bob's story
 

I'm in my 80s and lived through a war but I'm glad I'm not starting out now

Read Miriam's story
 

Birmingham should be leading the way... instead inequality leaves people struggling

Read Desmond's story