Disabled people are not ok. The pandemic has turned society against us (even more than before).

People were quietly ableist before. Now they’re openly hateful.

It was hard to access healthcare before. Now it’s impossible.

It was lonely before. Now it’s a pit of despair

It’s been an incredibly difficult 4 years for disabled and vulnerable individuals. We’ve had to endure terror of knowing we will be triaged out of medical care if system is overwhelmed, have DNRs forced on us & are witnessing aggressive expansion of medically assisted death

We’ve watched as the world clamours to get “back to normal” while completely leaving us behind. We are told to “just stay home” because people don’t want to push for clean air initiatives and can’t be bothered to mask.

Even in hospitals - the one place we have no choice but to go - masking is not required & you run the risk of being labeled difficult or anxious for requesting a HCW mask in your presence. We’re expected to just go along and risk our health & baseline for the comfort of others

When we speak up - we’re shouted down by people who are utterly convinced that the pandemic is over and there’s no risk. We’re told we’re wrong, exaggerating, hypochondriacs or worse. We endure endless trolling & criticism for just wanting to survive.

It didn’t used to be like this. Ableism has always existed - but it was never as aggressively in your face as it is now. People are experiencing trauma from Covid… and rather than cope with it they seem to be lashing out at disabled individuals.

I don’t know if it’s because many mitigations were sold as a means of protecting the vulnerable - or maybe it’s just because we represent a reality people can’t face.

That health is not a permanent state. That Covid is not over and that anyone can become disabled at any time

Whatever the reason - the result is the same. A society that treats disabled people as “less than”. That wants us out of sight & out of mind and that won’t do the bare minimum to protect us. That look the other way when we tell them eugenicist policies are going to end lives

It’s exhausting and terrifying and sad. I’m tired. We are ALL tired. Yet so many of us spend whatever incredibly limited energy we have continuing to advocate for safe public spaces, safe healthcare and an end to eugenics. We fight for equality. And we need allies.

Please remember this the next time you’re entering a public space without a mask. Or tempted to mock a vulnerable person for wearing one. Or accessing healthcare. If it’s easy for you access care - try and imagine how scary it would be if it wasn’t.

Try and have compassion and empathy for people who are different than you. Try and face the difficult truth that one day you too will be disabled - and when that day comes you will want to be treated better than we are currently being treated.

I promise you it’s far easier to advocate from a position of health & strength… so join us. Be our allies. Listen & believe us when we tell stories of unsafe spaces, eugenics and discrimination. Help us change things so that everyone will be better off. /end

#Disability #DisabilityJustice #Eugenics #Ableism #DisabilityRights #WearaMask #ChronicIllness #CovidIsNotOver #CovidIsAirborne #sarscov2

10 years ago I moved across the country for a job opportunity in Calgary. It was a big risk - I didn’t know anyone outside of some folks from this app whom I had never met in person.

I had a medical emergency a few weeks after moving - and one of those people saved my life.
His name was Tory and at the time I knew him only by his avatar and handle. But when I landed in Calgary he reached out via DM and offered me help and advice for getting to know my new city.

I told him I would take him up on that offer when I was more settled - but truthfully I was a bit leery about meeting a man I didn’t know in real life. So we exchanged messages here & there but did not meet up in person.

I was living in temporary housing - so I didn’t officially have an address or any real “roots” in the city. One day I came home and started feeling off. I was nauseous, sweaty and shaky. Before long I couldn’t stand up. Tory had texted to check in so I told him I was sick

He said it sounded like food poisoning and agreed to check in on me later that evening. I tried to go to bed but the symptoms kept getting worse. I had no idea where the nearest hospital was, no doctor to call, no friends or neighbours.

When Tory texted a few hours later… I was huddled in a ball on the bathroom floor barely able to read my messages. He suggested the hospital but I was scared and thought I could wait it out. So he asked to come over.

Somewhat reluctantly I gave him my address and crawled to the door to unlock it. He arrived not long after, took one look at me and said “we’re going to the hospital”. He practically carried me to his car while I embarrassingly protested

I was so worried I would puke on his seat and I remember he kindly said “I’ve got three kids - don’t you worry about a thing.” He got me to the hospital & into a wheelchair but before we got to triage I began projective vomiting so fiercely it knocked the wheelchair backwards

At triage I could barely tell them my name because I had become so woozy - and Tory only knew me by my handle! As they were attempting to get my emergency contact information I blacked out. I woke up in a trauma room with my shirt cut off & a flurry of activity around me

Truthfully I remember very little other than Tory - still there & warmly holding my hand - telling me I had to unlock my phone so the ‘nice people’ could figure out who I was and who to contact. He knew I was scared & tried to be a calm and grounding presence

Eventually they got me stabilized and once I was feeling better Tory told me he needed to leave to go to work. This kind man - whom I had not met before that night - stayed with me all night in the ER despite needing to work the next day.

I thanked him and he left - and to my surprise a few hours later his partner showed up with their new baby in tow. She had brought me a change of clothes and some personal care items. She kept me company for a few hours and said Tory would come back after work

🧵 1/2

#Disability #disabilitycrowdfund #chronicillness #kindness #MutualAid #MutualAidRequest #CovidIsNotOver #CovidCautious #Friendship #CommunityCare #kindnessofstrangers