Hell, even if someone wants to wear a mask to avoid pollen (due to hayfever) that should be okay!

And it should definitely be okay to wear a mask to avoid a virus! (flu, Covid, etc)

No. Mask. Bans. Ever!

#NoMaskBan #Covid19 #LongCovid #CovidIsNotOver #Ableism #Eugenics #Disability

Columbia University bends a knee and capitulates to the Trump regime. They’ve agreed to ban masks and empower police to arrest students.

This is the epitome of fascism. Please look back at what the Nazis did to education.

They wanted people uninformed and/or indoctrinated. The Hitler Youth Program effectively brainwashed children to become full on Nazis.

Schools should be a safe place for kids to express differing opinions, learn about other people and cultures and become tolerant, compassionate citizens of the world

They should be able to do that while protecting their health and the health of their community

This is a devastating blow to public health, democracy and freedom:

https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/columbia-university-trump-demands-federal-funding-e94d41ca

#uspoli #fascism #maskbans #columbia #columbiauniversity #ableism #eugenics #disabilityrights

The world needs more disabled journalists and writers.

We bring a unique perspective that is needed during these increasingly tumultuous times.

Heartbroken to see a disabled student lose their funding for accommodations because the school deemed them “too disabled” to have a feasible career in journalism.

This is systemic ableism. People think they can tell us what we can or can’t do.

He was described as an excellent writer, and he deserved the chance to get his degree and fulfill his dream.

It’s also a perfect example of the catch 22 many disabled people find themselves in. Often denied or judged for needing benefits and told to “get a job!”, while subsequently being told that we’re too disabled to merit giving a job.

https://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/local/north-dakota-supreme-court-rules-against-dsu-students-claim

#ableism #disability #discrimination #disabilityjustice #disabilityrights

Disabled women are more likely to experience abuse than their non disabled peers.

We’re often trapped with caregivers who treat us badly & lack the financial support to leave. We may also be physically dependent on the abuser for basic activities of daily living.

Many disability benefits are cut if you marry or cohabitate, which further enforces dependency.

For International Women’s Day help us fight for a universal basic income, better social and medical support and access so that we may regain as much autonomy as possible.

#IWD2025 #InternationalWomensDay #disability #disabilityrights #ableism #ubi #autonomy #abuse

Prior to Covid it was normal to mask in the NICU. People understood that premature babies are as vulnerable as they come and need to protected.

Now? Gowns & gloves but no masking.

The damage caused by anti mask rhetoric will be felt for years (possibly decades) to come.

Mask mandates belong in healthcare. We should be providing free respirators at the door & cleaning and ventilating the air.

If you’re a healthcare worker who doesn’t think you need to mask, please read my plea on behalf of vulnerable patients:

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

We know masks in healthcare stop the spread of airborne disease. We know they reduce the risk of hospital acquired COVID (which has a 10% mortality rate).

We know respirators work even better.

So why aren’t we masking? Why are patients having to bear the brunt of infection control?

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

#covidisairborne #covidisnotover #longcovid #chronicillness #ableism #eugenics #keepmasksinhealthcare #disability

There’s measles outbreaks in multiple States now, and every time a new cluster is announced there’s an exposure at an ER

Why? Because that’s where the sick people go

It’s one of the reasons disabled people often say they won’t go to the ER unless literally dying.

They’re not safe places for us:

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/i-wont-go-to-the-er-unless-im-literally

#disability #chronicillness #disabilityrights #ableism #eugenics #healthcare #measles #COVIDisAirborne #keepmasksinhealthcare

There’s so much going on in the world that we can’t control.

The Covid pandemic gave way to rising fascism, just like the pandemics that have come before.

People are scared. Many lost loved ones. Society changed overnight. The loss of control that many felt allowed bad actors to rise up and capitalize on people’s fear.

No matter what our governments say or do, Covid isn’t over. It’s still killing and disabling people.

What’s worse, the pro infection crowd has become so loud and emboldened that vaccine uptake is down, masks are vilified and we’re seeing a resurgence of diseases like measles and tuberculosis.

Despite all the infectious disease threats out there, we still don’t have mandatory masks in healthcare.

The one place people absolutely can’t avoid, the place they should have a reasonable expectation of safety, has become one of the least safe public spaces.

Patients are being infected trying to access basic healthcare, because staff refuse to mask. Refuse to test. Refuse to isolate.

It’s eugenics, and we need people to realize it before it’s too late.

We need mandatory masks in healthcare. We must protect patients AND staff. We must protect even the ones who refuse to protect themselves.

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

#uspoli #pandemic #publichealth #fascism #masks #n95 #chronicillness #disability #ableism #eugenics #covidisairborne #covidisnotover

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

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

My cousin was called for jury service and was excited to play her part in the justice system. She’s just been told however that she cannot serve after all because the court has no lift and she cannot walk up stairs. This a good example of how disabled people are excluded from public life #Ableism

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

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

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

“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

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

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

I am specifically thinking about the healthcare industry's accommodators of fascism.

Unmasking, accommodating fascists, was the Rubicon. It was past many a year ago under a different president.

That you now don't have access to vaccine schedules, contraception guidelines, infectious disease guidelines on the CDC's website,

I have to ask, what the fuck were you thinking?

Those who have gone along with and thus reinforced unsafe, ableist, discriminatory healthcare settings should have done better then, but the next best time to do better is now.

Don't go down in history as Theodor Leipart.

#healthcare #medicine #fascism #COVID19 #ableism

In the hospital for cardiac testing & there’s a mask mandate in place.

My chart says I’m high risk.

Tech comes in with mask under her nose.

Me: “Can you please pull up your mask I’m immune compromised.”

Her: Big sigh, pulls it up “You’ve got some serious Covid anxiety eh?”

Me: “not anxiety, I’m being rational. Colds have put me in the hospital.”

Her: Another big sigh

As I’m leaving I say: “It seems really quiet here today.”

Her: “Yeah half the staff are out sick. You’re actually lucky they didn’t cancel your appointment.”

Me: Internal shrieking

#ableism #eugenics #covidisairborne #covidisnotover #wearamask #sarscov2 #disability #keepmasksinhealthcare

I'm sadly not fluent in anything but English, but I've put significant work in the past into Spanish, Danish, Swedish (and only 1 year into French and ASL)...

Something I noticed about languages, esp when I started picking up books about insults & swearwords in other languages, is that they crystalize what the culture most prizes and most abhors. Or at least did some time in the past.

It says something about English that so many of our insult words have to do with disability #Language #Ableism

New here? Struggling with Long Covid or think you might have Long Covid?

I’ve written a series of guides about two of the most common and difficult to diagnose comorbids: POTS and MCAS.

If you’re newly diagnosed or undiagnosed, if you’ve been told it’s “all in your head”… read on! 🧵

#LongCOVID #covidisairborne #covidisnotover #chronicillness #spoonie #pots #mcas #mecfs #Dysautonomia #eds #disability #ableism

In 48 hours Trump has basically created an information blackout where public health is concerned.

This is damaging not only to Americans, but people around the world. Viruses and other public health threats don’t care about borders. They don’t care about politics. They simply require a host.

He withdrew from the World Health Organization

Rescinded an executive order making Covid testing & vaccine access easier

Prohibited CDC, FDA and NIH from providing public health updates

Signed an order that states non profits and advocacy organizations can’t call out misinformation because it violates “freedom of speech”

These actions combined with his chokehold on many of the largest social media apps will lead to a catastrophic groundswell of misinformation.

When public health stops functioning, people die. These decisions will cost lives.

Please stay aware. Pay attention. Push back if you can. Support independent journalists who are working hard to get the accurate information out to as many people as possible.

#uspoli #publichealth #hhs #cdc #nih #fda #disabilityrights #ableism

A number of executive orders are going to cause direct harm to the disabled community … but please don’t miss this order which will harm non profits & advocacy orgs.

Apparently non profits can now be punished for attempting to correct misinformation - because the corrections infringe on Freedom of Speech.

These organizations need to be able to counter disinformation in order to ensure patient safety.

We are experiencing record rates of disability and punishingly long wait times for healthcare.

Not all conditions are well understood even by the medical community, so patients turn to social media and advocacy organizations for help

There’s already many harmful lies and misinformation swirling around about chronic illness, and if we put orders in place that punish those who seek to correct the information, it’s the patients who will suffer

They will be left with nowhere to turn, especially in the event that the doctor they see also repeats harmful misinformation.

They could end up enduring setbacks or permanently altering their baseline as a direct result of bad information disguised as “help”

We appear to be careening into an information blackout, where all someone will be able to access will be misinformation & disinformation.

Consider who that benefits & who it harms, and then help us fight back. Get on the phone and tell legislators you vehemently disagree

https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/files/media/documents/2025/chart-executive-orders.pdf

#uspoli #disabilityrights #disabilityadvocacy #ableism #chronicillness #executiveorder

Tomorrow will be a dark day for many.

For disabled, marginalized, LGBTQ+ folks & women. For anyone who still cares about others

The disability community saw this coming. It’s important we listen & understand that labelling people as expendable for 5 years leads nowhere good

Since November we’ve watched hate win over and over again.

We’ve witnessed the emboldening of those who think they’re superior to others.

We’ve seen an increase in misogyny, bigotry, ableism, racism & discrimination.

Disabled people begged the Left to pay attention. We begged you to keep masking, to push for clean air, to demand accountability from government.

We implored you to realize that our lives are not less important than your ability to go out for brunch.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of people on both sides of the aisle decided that mitigating COVID was “too hard.”

They accepted repeat infections as inevitable so they wouldn’t have to adapt their lives in any way.

They threw away people like me.

We let hate win. And now we’re going to see the consequences of that decision.

Disabled people weren’t surprised in November, we’ve been living in what feels like an alternate reality for years.

But I suspect others are about to feel our pain.

If you’re feeling scared or angry right now, know that you’re not alone. There’s a community standing with you.

I don’t know exactly what comes next, but I do know we have to keep up the fight.

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/how-did-we-get-here-and-what-comes

#disability #COVIDisAirborne #covidisnotover #uspol #ableism #eugenics #trump #pandemic #longcovid

Now more than ever people have been conditioned to see disability as a moral failing. They believe people “deserve” their chronic illness or that they could “choose” to be better if they really wanted to.

This type of just world fallacy has always existed, because it enables people to move through life assuming nothing bad will ever happen to them as long as they’re “good people”.

It’s untrue, but as we’ve seen over the last five years most people have no problem swallowing lies if it helps them sleep better at night.

The reality is disability comes for almost everyone eventually. Unless you die suddenly and young, you will likely experience disability eventually.

You will have to face the fact that you are now one of the “others” that you looked down upon.

You will realize that no amount of “trying harder” can make you better. You will mourn your previous life.

It doesn’t have to be this way. We can stop blaming people for their illnesses and start helping them.

We can choose to wear a mask to protect our health and the health of others. We can clean the air. We can stay home when sick.

We can lobby governments for better COVID policy AND better social supports for disabled people.

We can demand accountability and transparency. It’s not too late.

https://www.donotpanic.news/p/the-arctic-plague-ship-that-disabled

#chronicillness #disability #ableism #longcovid #mecfs #spoonie #COVIDisAirborne #covidisnotover #sarscov2

Yesterday I wrote that disabled people are canaries in the coal mine for pandemics & climate change.

Today legendary director David Lynch has died after spending the last year in isolation trying to avoid Covid AND being evacuated from his home due to LA wildfires.

People were worried Lynch was retiring, he made it clear he was isolating due to Covid

Like many of us with disabilities, he was left behind. People craved his work but wouldn’t wear a mask so he could create safely. “You do you” policies pushed him out of the public eye.

Pandemics and climate change will sadly impact all of us eventually. Disabled people are just first.

We must work together to save the canaries:

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

#pandemic #climatechange #covidisnotover #covidisairborne #disability #ableism #wildfires #losangeles #davidlynch

The California wildfires are an example of how quickly you can lose everything. People have lost homes, possessions and some have even lost their lives.

Disabled people are the canaries in the coal mine. Anything that can impact others will likely hit us faster and harder.

When you don’t have your physical health, your resilience is impaired. Surviving pandemics, wildfires and natural disasters becomes much harder.

Why aren’t we factored into emergency planning? If our needs were accounted for, everyone would be better off.

My latest article looks at how we can (and should) be saving the canaries. How deaths like those of Anthony and Justin Mitchell should never have happened.

If no one is coming to save us, we need to start discussing how we can save each other:

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

#wildfires #california #climatechange #eaton #altadena #palisades #disability #disabilityrights #ableism #emergencypreparedness #chronicillness

A doctor posted earlier that she saved a life because she believed her patient.

She described him as “strong”, a father, a firefighter. Someone who “wouldn’t complain for no reason.”

How can HCWs not realize this bias insinuates others DO complain for no reason?

I’m glad the man got the care he needed - as he had a life threatening issue that could have easily been blown off.

But what if it had been someone else? A disabled or marginalized women? Someone who’s homeless, has multiple complex illnesses or dealing with drug addiction?

Bias and misogyny are huge problems in medicine.

By this doctors own admission, they believed it to be serious because the patient was “not the type” to complain for nothing.

How can they not realize they’re insinuating there IS a type that complain for nothing?

The majority of people won’t go to the ER for funsies. They’re not complaining for attention - they’re suffering.

If they’re disabled? Odds are good they’ve been suffering for days trying like hell to avoid going to the ER.

But we don’t take them seriously. Why? Bias.

The tendency to dismiss, gaslight, downplay and ignore is always there.

The number of times I’ve gone to the ER and watched a male patient receive vastly quicker & more efficient care makes me physically ill.

It happens ALL the time.

The result? Patients like me don’t go to the hospital. We suffer in silence. We roll the dice with our health rather than be subjected to gaslighting and trauma.

It needs to stop because it costs lives - they’re just not talked about.

When someone with a complex chronic illness dies at home it’s unlikely anyone knows that they were debating medical care. That they would have gone in if not for the myriad of times they were ignored or abused.

Those stories never get told.

I have my own such story from when I had a hysterectomy at 24

I was discharged from hospital despite feeling “off”. I decompensated at home.

I went to the ER for help and was told I was “fine”. Asked “what do you want us to do?”

Told I was “overreacting”

Two weeks passed as I got sicker and sicker. Increasing pain, swelling and fatigue.

I couldn’t eat, walk or function. I was pale and listless and had stopped checking phone or email. I was not “fine”

Yet it took 4 trips and a man coming with me to be taken seriously

I had been bleeding into my abdomen & a large life threatening infection had developed.

Yet I wasn’t believed. I wasn’t listened to.

After 3rd ER trip yielded no results I was adamant I wasn’t going back. I wanted to die in my own bed

The man who took me in saved my life

I could have become a statistic. Bled to death at home because ER told me repeatedly that I was “fine”

They told me this without running single test. They wrote me off the moment I walked in

We must change the culture. Listen to patients. Treat them equally. Lives depend on it
Patients with life threatening medical emergencies should not have to be “strong & tough” young men to be taken seriously

I shouldn’t have needed to bring a man to the ER for them to finally run tests. Patients deserve to be listened to… ALL patients:

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/my-most-dangerous-er-experience-and

#chronicillness #disability #spoonie #ableism #bias #misogyny #discrimination
#medicaltrauma

It's horrific how disabled people are dying due to being left behind in the wildfires, where firefighters aren't letting relatives or friends go in to save them (or even going themselves to save them).

Our society deems our lives as expendable and not worthy of life. It's ableist and horrifying, and I hate it.

So reach out to your disabled friends. Ask how you can help them with safety plans for such situations, and then follow-thru.

Stop leaving us to die.

#disability #Ableism #Fires

I will never understand why more people aren’t angry and radicalized by the events of the last five years.

The anti mask, anti-vaxx crowd are angry… but they’re also terribly misinformed and on the wrong side of history.

Those of us with disabilities are livid … but we aren’t heard. We’re treated as even more invisible now than we were five years ago. An unwelcome reminder of Covid and the frail nature of the human condition.

But what about everyone else? The anti mask crowd may be the loudest, but they’re far from the majority.

Why aren’t the rest of you angry? Why are so many people content to accept and normalize mass death and disability?

An article came out in PBS today that puts the total COVID deaths at over 20 million.

20 million people. Those are fathers, mothers, spouses, grandparents, siblings and children. Each number represents a loved one to someone else.

Where’s the outcry?

400 million are dealing with Long Covid. That’s an obscene amount of people whose lives are forever changed. Who may never again know what it’s like to be healthy or exist in a body that isn’t rife with suffering.

Where’s the rage?

We know how to prevent covid. We’ve known for years. Yet rather than adapting our lifestyle and being humble in the face of a novel virus - we’ve given it the reins.

We’ve conceded defeat before we even put up a fight. Accepted repeat infections as inevitable. Shrugged our shoulders as we report more and more deaths. Aggressively minimized and disappeared those with Long Covid.

This should make you angry. It doesn’t need to be this way.

What would success look like? What would fighting back entail?

🫶Mandatory masking in all healthcare facilities (with respirators)

🫶Free tests and vaccines for everyone

🫶Better funding of anti virals and other treatments

🫶Clean air in all public spaces with transparent data visible to the public

🫶Clean air on school busses and anywhere that children congregate

🫶Paid time off for everyone who’s sick

🫶Free respirators in public places AND freely available to anyone who can’t afford precautions

🫶A robust public health campaign about how to properly wear a respirator

🫶A brutally honest public health campaign about the dangers of COVID. We have to stop treating it like a respiratory virus and make the public aware that it’s a multi system vascular virus with immune damaging capabilities

Doing even a few of those things would make a huge difference. Doing all of them would end the pandemic.

Get angry. Get loud. Demand better. Demand transparency.

Say that 20 million dead is not “mild”. That 900 dying every week in the U.S. is not “over”. That 400 million disabled will NOT be ignored.

#covidisairborne #covidisnotover #sarscov2 #longcovid #pandemic #cleanair #wearamask #disability #ableism #eugenics

Why I don't use the insult "moron" or its related epithets. "Imbecile." "Idiot."

#Ableism #eugenics

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/01/eugenics-isnt-dead-its-thriving-in-tech/