2024 AAPD ADA Celebration

Join us for our annual AAPD ADA Celebration!

By American Association of People with Disabilities

Thursday, July 25 · 5:30 - 7:30pm EDT

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-aapd-ada-celebration-tickets-910770106907

#Disability #ADA

(0/2350) Urgent medical treatment for fibromyalgia and lung disease to save my mom

https://ko-fi.com/ellienoctis/

Housing insecure family needs help affording urgent medical expenses. Mom has chronic lung conditions & fibromyalgia; worsened from COVID. Medical expenses and treatment are increasingly costly.

Mom is currently recovering from surgery, but due to the increasing prices of medicines and no help from insurance company, we are currently out of money to get her medical treatment. Due to her age, her health depends of these medicines to stay alive and well and prevent another medical emergency

#Disability #MutualAid #BlackMastodon #BlackMutualAid #DisabilityMutualAid

Help Walaa, who is paraplegic, and family in Gaza

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-walaa-safi-and-her-family-in-gaza

#Disability #MutualAid #FreePalestine #Palestine

HELP TINU

Asking again for help with the cost of surviving chemo & Long COVID.

2+ years after #COVID19, still sick, 5th type of chemo.

https://Ko-fi.com/TinuWrites

https://cash.app/$TinuWrites

https://account.venmo.com/u/TinuWrites

#Cancer #Disability #MutualAid #BlackMastodon

@blackmastodon@a.gup.pe
@BlackMastodon@chirp.social

A Black disabled queer woman is again facing homeΙessness. Her apartment is infested, her lεase is ending, and she needs to affοrd new rent on top of 15k+ hουsing debt & lawsυit w past landΙοrd.

0/1500
Nοte: Mia

CA/PP miiiiaaaa0
V Adrianne-Charles-1

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-a-black-disabled-woman-secure-housing

#MutualAid #Disability #BlackMastodon

@mutualaid

For Sudan:Help support families in Kalma IDP camp

https://www.gofundme.com/f/for-sudanhelp-support-families-in-kassab-idp-camp

#Sudan #KeepEyesOnSudan #EyesOnSudan #TalkAboutSudan #MutualAid #Disability #BlackMastodon
@mutualaid

Save my family from Bombardment: A young Boy's fight for Mob

https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-my-family-from-bombardment-a-young-boys-fight-for-mob

"My name is Asala, and I am writing to you from a place of safety, but my heart is still with my family who are enduring unimaginable suffering in Sudan. My 18-year-old brother had his life shattered when he was hit in the spinal cord by shrapnel during a bombardment in our civilian neighborhood. The severe injuries required emergency neurosurgery, which saved his life, but his journey toward recovery is far from over. He still has shrapnel lodged under his lungs, awaiting another critical surgery. Without further medical treatment, he may never walk again and could face a lifetime of paralysis.

I am reaching out to you, kind-hearted souls, to help my family escape this nightmare. Your generous donations will go directly to:

• Securing Medical Treatment
• Safe Passage
• Rebuilding Lives"

#Sudan #KeepEyesOnSudan #EyesOnSudan #TalkAboutSudan #MutualAid #Disability #BlackMastodon @mutualaid

Medical Costs & Housing

https://www.gofundme.com/f/9apnu9-medical-treatment

"In March of 2020 I was attacked on my way home from work.
The man grabbed me, shook me, coughed in my face & laughed ‘You’re sick now’
I thought it was a cruel joke. I was wrong.
I had contracted Covid & I never recovered.

I have been diagnosed with ME/CFS, POTS & MCAS.
I am mostly bed bound & barely able to manage the most basic of tasks.
I have no financial support from from family or government & no supplemental insurance.
I have been unable to work since, after over 2 years my savings have been wiped out & my hope of a spontaneous recovery has dwindled.
I’ve lost my business & my autonomy."

#Covid #LongCovid #MutualAid #Disability #MECFS #POTS #MCAS #CFS

end viral eugenics database started by frameweaver on the evening of April 28, 2023.

https://robust-currents.notion.site/ea121f33451d433b89ecd0fff44c7983

Google Sheets Mirror

#Covid #CovidIsntOver #CovidIsAirborne #Mask #Masking #Health #Disability

from @/bsonblast on birdsite:

Want to help these refugees? Join us in a mass emailing campaign to UNHCR Ethiopia! 🙌🏾❤️

Just copy/paste this and send it to their email (included in the screenshot). It takes 2 minutes!

Email Script:

Email: info@unhcr-eth.org
Subject: Urgent Aid for Sudanese Refugees in Ethiopia-Amhara Region

To whom it may concern,

I am writing to urgently request assistance for

6,080 Sudanese refugees who fled Olala camp due to militia attacks. They are stranded in the bush between Olala Camp and Gondar City, and have been without food for five days.

The group includes children, disabled individuals, and elderly people in dire need of shelter, food, and water.

Immediate intervention is crucial to prevent further suffering.

Thank you for your prompt attention.

Sincerely,
[Your name]

Available as a Google Doc Template

#Disability #Disabled #Children #Kids #Elderly #EyesOnSudan #LiberateSudan
#Sudan #KeepEyesOnSudan
#السودانيينالعالقينبإثيوبيا

Panel Discussion with Nat Decker, Cielo Saucedo, thai Lu, Xixi Edelsbrunner, and Espeon.

May 24th 6-7:30PM

https://forms.fillout.com/t/rKcw15QTczus

This panel discussion will explore the notion of a crip bloc, and methods of disability resistance and solidarity. Disabled people participating in on the ground protest confront numerous inaccessibilities and the realities of the body/mind: vulnerability, immobility, fatigue, over-stimulation, hyper-visibility. Security instructions - wear all black or discrete clothing, cover the face - fail to obfuscate the mobility device or bodily difference, resulting in increased susceptibility to surveillance. Public gathering and proximity to police can result in disproportionate risk, especially for multiply-marginalized people.

#Disability #CripBloc

Support The Busimba Family To Rebuild Their Lives

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-busimba-family-to-rebuild-their-lives

"We are reaching out to you for assistance to support a refugee family desperately in need of help."

#MutualAid #Disability #CrowdFund #Congo #CongoIsBleeding

HELP A BLACK FAMILY SURVIVE

This woman's gofundme has been up for OVER A YEAR and is not even halfway to her goal. one of her kids posted on birdsite about how they're terrified that so soon after celebrating her birthday, they may have to plan for her funeral. donate and share.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-support-my-surgeries-living-expenses

Originally for this woman's recovery from Long Covid and payment for surgeries needed to help her breathe and move, most of the money is now going towards her daughter who is battling stage two breast cancer (the most aggressive type, which you can see in the updates).

#Disability #Covid #Covid19 #LongCovid #Cancer #MutualAid #BlackMutualAid #BlackMastodon

"Hi my name is Tasia. I'm a 26 year old disabled woman who needs help with a few bills including glasses and related exams as well as food."

https://www.gofundme.com/f/new-glasses-and-basic-needs

@mutualaid #Disability #MutualAid #BlackMutualAid

(2,662/34,249) Help Ze and her elderly parents flee Sudan

They are one their FOURTH displacement within a year.

"I’m an only child of two parents who both are above 60+ and struggle with chronic diseases. We have been searching for jobs tirelessly for the past months in and outside Sudan and unfortunately we haven’t been able to find any. My dad’s family are still in warzones unable to fend for themselves."

#KeepEyesOnSudan #Sudan #EyesOnSudan #Disability #DisabilityCrowdFund #DisabilityMutualAid

@mutualaid @sudan

Respirator Repository

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NuYVJasqD08cqrROVwoL9COoYtCHrLRYXShg4MtTHe4/htmlview#

#Respirator #COVID #Disability #Asthma #LongCovid

Help Randa's Family flee war in Sudan

"Hello,everyone !
My name is Randa , and my friends organized this fundraiser to help and support my family in finding their way to a peaceful place, hopefully joining me in Rwanda.

Challenge:
Six members of my family are trapped in Sudan, including two with disabilities and chronic illness. My father, who is 70 years old, retired a long time ago due to his medical condition (complete blind with both eyes). He is also diabetic . Our youngest sister had been diagnosed with Erb's palsy since birth. My father and three sisters are now stranded and stuck without first aid treatment, water, food and shelter in Sennar State and my two brothers are trapped in Khartoum in our house where our neighborhood is under RSF control! "

#KeepEyesOnSudan
#EyesonSudan
#BlackMutualAid
#MutualAid
#Sudan
#Disability
@sudan

https://autisticadvocacy.org/2023/10/action-alert-take-action-on-fair-pay-for-disabled-workers/

ACTION ALERT: Take Action on Fair Pay for Disabled Workers!

#Disability #DisabilityJustice

Patients have been bearing the brunt of infection control in hospitals, having to go to great lengths to protect themselves and their loved ones.

They’re unfairly judged, psychologized and mistreated for masking and/or requesting staff mask.

Covid is still here. It’s still killing and disabling people. We’re also seeing outbreaks of tuberculosis, measles and the worst flu season in over a decade.

Public health is being systematically dismantled and gagged by the Trump administration, allowing misinformation and disinformation to flourish and putting even more lives at risk.

Why don’t we have mandatory masking in healthcare? Why are we killing and disabling patients who go there for help? Who can’t ‘just stay home’?

The second article in my Masks in Healthcare series looks at patient stories, retaliation, and what we can do to make hospitals safer for everyone.

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/we-need-mandatory-masking-in-healthcare

#covidisairborne #covidisnotover #longcovid #sarscov2 #chronicillness #healthcare #keepmasksinhealthcare #wearamask #ableism #eugenics #disability

RFK Jr finally recommends vaccination to deal with the measles outbreak hitting Texas right now.

This is quite the about face for a man who’s been spreading harmful anti-vaxx rhetoric for years.

Just a few days ago he was minimizing the outbreak by saying it was “normal” and recommending vitamin A.

What changed? Not going to lie… my initial thought was “it must be really bad if RFK Jr is pushing the vaccine”

Please folks, get your boosters. Wear a mask. Clean the air. Protect your health & the health of those around you.

https://www.axios.com/2025/03/03/kennedy-jr-measles-outbreak-vaccine

#rfkjr #vaccines #measles #uspoli #hhs #publichealth #texas #wearamask #COVIDisAirborne #covidisnotover #disability

One of the hardest parts of navigating these difficult times is the fact that many of those fighting fascism & impending collapse are turning their back on the disabled.

We saw it years ago. We warned. We pleaded. We asked people to fight back. We asked them to wear a mask.

Now we’re in the thick of it and still being left behind.

Articles about collapse don’t factor us in. Resistance efforts ignore us. Activism isn’t accessible. People still aren’t masking.

Include us in resistance. We have a lot to offer. We were built for fighting back.

#resist #fascism #uspoli #ableism #eugenics #disability #wearamask #disabilityrights

#disability #accessibility #ASL

Texas becomes the latest State to propose a mask ban (while in the midst of a measles outbreak that’s currently over 100 cases).

These are ugly laws. They’re discriminatory & push disabled people further out of society. They increase the likelihood of police harassment. They paint maskers as “bad”.

There’s an excellent document with scripts for how to call & fight back! 🧵 1/2

https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1704ui-FIcCqF97SX5uVnjP-Xi4A6m4WUXjce2ZonKEI/mobilebasic

#uspoli #maskbans #nomaskbans #uglylaws #infectioncontrol #publichealth #texas #measles #covidisairborne #covidisnotover #ableism #eugenics #disability

If you think mask bans are “no big deal” because there’s medical exemptions, please consider the following:

😷 Police are not doctors
😷 Many disabilities are invisible
😷 Disabled people don’t live in a bubble. I need my friends and caregivers to mask to protect me
😷 Everyone should have the right to protect their health, you shouldn’t have to already be sick to be permitted to mask
😷 Criminalizing masks sends a message that maskers are “bad”. It emboldens anti-maskers and increases odds of aggression

The reality is that mask bans are discriminatory, ableist and eugenicist. They push disabled people out of public spaces. They put marginalized and POC at increased risk of police profiling.

There’s no official policy for a medical exemption either, it’s at police discretion.

If you’re stopped and questioned, you will have to prove you’re masking for the “right reasons”

I’m more than willing to admit that if I were stopped by a cop for masking, I would appear nervous, shaky, tachycardic and probably “suspicious”.

Not because I’m doing anything wrong, but because my illnesses do not respond well to stress and the police are stressful.

It’s not right to put the onus on the masker to defend their right to mask. We’re still in a global pandemic. Texas has a measles outbreak. There’s tuberculosis in Kansas. Bird flu is spreading and it’s the worst year for influenza A in over a decade.

Masks are a public health tool. They’re a disability accommodation. They should NOT be criminalized.

For more on mask bans and medical exemptions, I wrote an article on the Nassau County ban here:

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/nassau-county-ny-makes-masking-illegal

#nomaskban #uspoli #texas #northcarolina #maskban #disability #uglylaws #publichealth #ableism #eugenics #h5n1 #measles #longcovid #covidisairborne

“Were they dying from Covid or were they dying from chronic disease?”

Easy. They died from Covid.

This idea that having a chronic disease somehow means that it’s ok that you died, or that you could have prevented your own death, is straight up eugenics.

I’m no less worthy of life than those without chronic illness. My chronic illnesses are not my fault. I can’t cure them with diet and exercise (believe me, I tried).

This is health supremacy and we need to call it out. When this behaviour takes root, the elimination of disabled people isn’t far behind.

We are ALL vulnerable to Covid. Placing blame on the individual and waving away millions of deaths as “oh well they had comorbids” is eroding whatever moral compass our society has left.

Mitigate the threat, and less people will die.

Clean air, better ventilation, mandatory masking in healthcare, isolating when sick, free and updated COVID tests and public health education on masks.

It’s time to save lives.

#covidisairborne #CovidIsNotOver #SARSCoV2 #longcovid #chronicillness #wearamask #disability #ableism #eugenics #fascism #rfkjr #uspoli

If you want to fight fascism? Wear a mask.

If you want to show solidarity with disabled people? Wear a mask.

If you want to protect your own health? Wear a mask.

If you recognize that no one is coming to save us? Wear a mask.

My ultimate guide to respirators looks at the early days of mask mandates, the rise of antimaskers, how to up your mask game for the ultimate personal protection and why we need to “fix our hearts or die”

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/were-witnessing-the-fall-of-public

#covidisairborne #covidisnotover #wearamask #n95 #uspoli #fascism #chronicillness #longcovid #h5n1 #publichealth #disability #ableism

COVID was an opportunity to adapt and become a more inclusive society.

We could have learned about airborne spread and adopted clean air standards. Improved ventilation. Made more outdoor spaces. Normalized masking.

Instead we’ve politicized infection control and made society less safe for everyone.

400 million people are now living with Long Covid, and our world is less accessible and inclusive than before.

There’s still time to change things though.

Small acts of kindness can do so much for someone like me.

Wear a mask in public. Stay home if you’re sick. Install an air purifier. Open a window. Donate to mask blocs. Do your part.

#covidisairborne #covidisnotover #ableism #eugenics #longcovid #disability #sarscov2

As more States propose mask bans, I want to take a moment to discuss claims that it’s “fear mongering” to say that masking is illegal.

People claim the medical exemption is “good enough”.

This ignores three critical points. Public perception, anti mask sentiment and rampant ableism

First things first, mask bans make masking a criminal offence. They make the act of wearing a mask illegal.

Sure there may be medical exemptions, but they’re incredibly problematic.

Lawmakers specifically chose not to exempt medical masks and respirators. The burden is on the wearer

Second, public perception around masking is very different now than it was before Covid.

People are irrationally angry when they see a mask. They’ve been politicized and folks have created an identity in their minds about who a masker is. A liberal. A sheep. Someone who’s anti-freedom.

None of their preconceived notions are based in fact or reality, but they fuel the anger and rage that gets directed at maskers every day.

When you enact a mask ban, you embolden these people. They aren’t reading the bills and considering medical exemptions.

They just hear they’re banned.

As a result they think they can demand you remove your mask. They may call the police on you. They will certainly feel justified in judging and targeting maskers and declaring that they’re doing “something wrong”.

This emboldening creates a dangerous situation that could easily lead to violence

This is why we must discuss anti mask sentiment when talking about mask bans.

Many disabled people masked before covid. I was one of them. The worst I ever got was a strange look or someone moving far away from me on transit

Since mask mandates ended I’ve been coughed on, spit at and yelled at

People view masks as bad and loathe anyone who’s still wearing them.

When you publicly enact a mask ban, you’re telling those people they’re right. That it’s ok to harass people for masking. That it’s wrong to wear a mask and protect your health.

You’re increasing the hostility.

Finally there’s the issue of ableism. Mask bans make public spaces less accessible. Period.

For many of us a good mask is the only reason we can be out in public. If you make it a crime, we risk being stopped by the police and forced to justify our disabilities.

Many of us have a difficult time getting healthcare workers to take us seriously, but we’re supposed to assume law enforcement will believe we’re masking for the right reasons?

That’s a risk we should never be forced to take. The interaction alone would negatively impact our baseline

Lastly… any reason for wearing a mask should be good enough.

We are still in a global pandemic. Millions are dead, even more are disabled. People are still dying every week.

Wearing a mask to protect yourself - whether disabled or not - is a smart and caring choice

The idea that someone should be forced to justify that choice or risk arrest is patently absurd.

Which is why mask bans are wrong.

The best way to fight these bans is to mask up. The more people wearing masks, the harder they will be to ban.

You can also call and email your local lawmakers and tell them you strongly oppose bans which make a medical mask illegal.

Please don’t wait until someone is assaulted or arrested just for wearing a medical device. Help us fight these bans now.

I’ve written extensively about mask bans, if you want a full length piece about why medical exemptions are not the answer, please read my article on Nassau County

Exemptions leave many people behind. They put undue burden on disabled individuals. They increase risk of profiling marginalized people

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/nassau-county-ny-makes-masking-illegal

#uglylaws #maskbans #discrimination #ableism #disability #uspoli #eugenics #COVIDisAirborne #CovidIsNotOver

COVID is not just a respiratory virus. It’s not a cold. It’s not “mild”.

It’s a multi system vascular virus that can do damage throughout your body.

It’s also a novel virus. Five years is not a lot of time in the lifecycle of a new disease. The more we learn, the more obvious it becomes that avoiding infection is critical for long term health.

The precautionary principle should have been applied. We need to be humble and realize that we don’t know how bad things will be in another few years.

So wear a mask. Clean and ventilate the air. Avoid high risk settings. Do whatever you can to minimize your risk of infection. Protect yourself and your communities.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s44349-025-00015-3

#covidisairborne #covidisnotover #sarscov2 #longcovid #heartdamage #disability #wearamask #PrecautionaryPrinciple

It’s high time we start being honest about what’s behind a lot of the push towards “wellness”.

It’s ableism and eugenics. Its scared people who can’t face the fact that they could lose their health at any moment.

It’s people who desperately need to cling to control.

First of all I’m not at all opposed to a healthy lifestyle.

I was an avid hiker and yogi who followed a whole foods diet, did regular meditation and followed a lot of wellness influencers.

I still became chronically ill.

When the “wellness” activities didn’t cure me, that community abandoned me.

They looked at me as a failure. They believed I wasn’t “wellness-ing hard enough”.

If it were them, they would be getting better.

The root cause of this is ableism. Disability terrifies people.

The idea that there are conditions which won’t necessarily kill you but will rob you of your quality of life? Its scary.

Knowing there’s no treatments or cure? Terrifying.

But it’s not fair to blame the ones who are suffering. To scrutinize their past behaviour for signs that they brought it on themselves.

To hammer them with unsolicited advice and “tips” for things they could do if they really wanted to get better.

No one asks to be chronically ill. It just happens.

And everyone is one virus, infection, accident or stroke of bad luck away from it happening to them.

The odds that they will be the “exception” are incredibly low.

Let’s not forget that “wellness” costs money. A healthy lifestyle doesn’t come cheap

Disability is expensive. Nothing can prepare you for how devastating it is to spend every cent trying to stay ahead of your dwindling health, only to be told you’re not doing enough

Most of us can’t afford the lifestyle that wellness folks peddle. It’s big business. They’re not helping for altruistic reasons, they’re lining their pockets.

They don’t even care if their recommendations are harmful (and they definitely don’t care if they aren’t helpful)

Please, don’t blame someone for their disabilities. Don’t comb through their past looking for points of “weakness” that can absolve you of facing your own fear of chronic illness

No one is perfect. We’ve all done things that aren’t “healthy”. No one deserves chronic illness

If someone in your life is blaming you, know that you can set firm boundaries to protect yourself.

You don’t have to put up with that kind of gaslighting behaviour

I know it hurts, I’ve been there many many times. But you have the right to walk away

Remind yourself it’s not about you. It’s their fear of the unknown. Their fear of disability. Their own internalized ableism.

One day when they lose their health they will be forced to confront their false beliefs, and there will be a reckoning.
Until that day comes the best we can do is protect ourselves from the toxicity of people who can’t face the reality of our conditions.

We can fight for one another. We can support one another. We can be loud, visible and unashamed.

#disability #chronicillness #longcovid #mecfs #spoonie #ableism #wellness #Maha #eugenics #fascism #disabilityrights

✏️The Wall Project is part of a series of projects that staff and students are running at the London College of Communication (LCC).

In this case, course staff, LCC Changemakers and students are working on methods to #decolonise higher education curricula.

🌐The second-year students of BA Media Communications are free to participate in the Wall Project by choosing to center their assignment for the Global Media Business, Practices and Culture Unit among social justice themes.

The areas they are asked to choose from are:
- #NewsStorytelling
- #Disability in #Media
- The #Impact of #Technology on #Social and #RacialJustice.

Students' research will be displayed on the wall of the college, replacing posters that aren't relevant anymore.

How does this help decolonise higher education?

Through:
- encouraging students to engage in self-directed #research on #socialjustice,
- #reclaiming university spaces for students' expression
- underlining the importance of #peerfeedback.

I see a lot of people saying now is the time to get out of the U.S. if you can.

Please remember most disabled people can’t leave. It’s incredibly difficult to immigrate to another country when you have documented medical issues. Many are also too sick to endure a move.

We must fight for them.

#uspoli #disability #ableism #fascism #eugenics #chronicillness

I think this is an #autism, #actuallyautistic or #actuallyadhd question but does anyone feel alienated because no one is as invested in their interests as you are? For an example, I’m a huge #swiftie and know lots about Taylor Swift and her music. It makes me excited.

Does anyone feel as though the level and intensity that they invest in their interests alienates them.

I’m feeling very alienated have no friends. Hope I get some feedback soon.

#disability
#disabled
#specialinterests

“Are you going to wear a respirator forever?”

That depends. Are we as a society going to take Covid seriously and actually take steps to reduce transmission?

Because in the “back to normal” denial era a respirator is the best tool I have to stay healthy.

I will wear it as long as it’s necessary because it’s keeping me safe and ensuring I don’t spread Covid or other communicable diseases.

It’s an easy and simple way for me to protect what’s left of my health and practice community care.

I can’t change much, but this is something I CAN do. I can make a commitment to not spreading COVID. I can make a promise to care about vulnerable people. I can commit to adapting to changing threats.

#covidisairborne #covidisnotover #longcovid #wearamask #disability #ableism

“You’re so lucky you don’t have to work!”

Disability IS a full time job. Only you don’t get paid. You don’t have opportunity for advancement. You never get to earn more money.

You spend every dime trying to stay alive. You live below the poverty line. You’re judged constantly.

I wish non disabled people would imagine how it feels to have your life grind to a halt with no expectation of improvement.

When you’re healthy, you at least have the possibility of earning more money. Of getting a better job. Of inheriting. Of moving forward.

That vanishes with disability.

We’re literally not allowed to earn money. Many of us can’t get married or cohabitate without losing our benefits.

We have to beg and plead for support that can be taken away at any moment, and are barred from doing anything to better our situation.

We live in a constant state of fear.

Fear of worsening health. Fear of a medical emergency that will wipe out our baseline, savings or both. Fear of being trapped with an abusive partner or caregiver. Fear of homelessness or bankruptcy. Fear of judgement and gaslighting.

We miss out on every day things that people take for granted.

I miss grabbing a coffee with a coworker. Being able to pop to the store for groceries. Being able to drive. Feeling safe in my body.

I miss my autonomy and freedom.

Being disabled can be a difficult existence. You don’t just lose your health

In many cases it destroys relationships, finances & hope

It’s not a vacation. It’s not something to aspire to. It’s not fun.

Please be kinder in the way you speak to us & be allies in the fight for better supports.

#disability #chronicillness #ableism #eugenics #discrimination #disabilityjustice

Billions paid out in benefits to Israelis wounded on Oct. 7, Hamas war https://www.byteseu.com/?p=735213 #ComptrollerReport #Conflicts #Disability #Israel #IsraelHamasWar #StateComptroller #TheOctober7Massacre

Had my first healthcare worker refuse to mask for me. I’ve had many scoff, make accusations of “anxiety” or wear their mask wrong… but this was my first outright “no”.

My chart is documented that I’m immune compromised & require staff to mask. The facility had a policy that if asked, staff will wear.

I was told “no I need to breathe to do my job”. I stood firm & said I’m high risk and masks are required.

They declined again and said they’re “claustrophobic”.

I said “I’m sorry to hear that but you work in healthcare. Being able to wear a mask is a requirement of your job. Please put one on before coming near me” A firm no. They refused to check my chart. Refused to show concern or empathy.

What I did next not all patients would be comfortable with, but I was there for a test that meant this HCW would be up close in my face for an extended time. I was also visibly sick and had already passed out once due to low blood pressure. Putting me at risk for their own comfort was NOT ok.

I said “no one comes near me without a mask. If you’re unwilling to accommodate my disability, go find me someone who is”

They were NOT happy. Stormed out and came back with another HCW who was wearing a mask.

When they returned they refused to leave the room. I asked repeatedly and said I was uncomfortable with them remaining and didn’t want extra people around for the exam. They said I was being “unreasonable”. They remained in the room, maskless, watching me undergo a sensitive exam.

at that point I just wanted the test over with so I could leave. I was exhausted, disappointed and felt utterly disrespected. Everyone who works in a hospital setting is required to be able to Don and doff a mask. If this person genuinely couldn’t, they shouldn’t be seeing patients

When I went to leave I told them, firmly but politely, that if they genuinely can’t do such a small thing to protect the most vulnerable patients they should reconsider working in healthcare. I’ve never seen someone sneer like that. I thought flames would shoot out of their ears

I asked for their full name to lodge an official complaint and they refused. It’s hard to believe this is where we’re at. Before Covid I never had a healthcare worker refuse to mask. I also noticed this HCW wasn’t wearing gloves when the others were.

I took detailed notes the moment I exited the hospital so that I could lodge a complaint without the name, but the entire experience robbed me of spoons and energy. Not every chronically ill patient would be able to lodge a complaint or push for a masked HCW the way I was. Nor should we have to.

This interaction will feature prominently in my next article about masks in healthcare.

I need all HCWs to understand the tremendous privilege and responsibility they have to their patients. We are putting our lives in your hands. Your comfort or personal politics must be left outside the hospital.

If you missed the first article in the series, you can read it here:

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/a-plea-to-maskless-healthcare-workers

#ableism #eugenics #disability #disabilityrights #keepmasksinhealthcare #covidisairborne #covidisnotover #sarscov2 #WearAMask

Tuberculosis outbreaks in Kansas, North Carolina & Ohio.

CDC aren’t permitted to update the public & people are not being advised of the risk or told to wear a mask.

There’s evidence that COVID causes immune system damage which could lead TB to reactivate.

A respirator prevents both Covid and TB.

Given we’re witnessing the dismantling of what was left of public health, there’s no better time to choose to wear a mask

You will protect yourself and your community. You will show much needed solidarity with vulnerable people who’ve never been able to stop masking.

You send a strong signal to the government that you aren’t willing to leave people behind.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/tuberculosis-outbreak-north-carolina-symptoms-b2692889.html

#tb #tuberculosis #COVIDisAirborne #covidisnotover #cdc #publichealth #uspoli #wearamask #disability

As a disabled person who relies on multiple medications and supplies that are manufactured or sourced in China… the suspension of USPS packages from China and Hong Kong is deeply disturbing. Even a temporary stoppage could be catastrophic for us.

disabled people are canaries in the coal mine. Anything that will impact non disabled people will often hit us harder and faster.

Include us in resistance & emergency preparedness.

If you have means, consider helping a disabled person stock up on necessary supplies. We often lack the funds to be able to “prep” and yet can’t withstand a shortage the way a healthy person can.

Never forget that good health gives you a degree of resilience … and that resilience is a gift. Don’t waste it. Prepare. Plan. Help others.

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/disabled-people-are-the-canaries

https://www.wired.com/story/tariffs-trump-ecommerce-amazon-temu/

#usps #uspoli #china #hongkong #tariffs #disability #ableism #canaries #prepardness