Thread about how our systems discriminate against disabled people during this pandemic

firstly, people with disabilities who are unable to work and aren’t already on PWD are still not eligible for CERB. aka CERB is only for “working people”

if u did work and are applying to CERB with a disability, it takes four weeks to get a deposit. if you’re not disabled, it takes two days

regular care is cut off, and instead of being relocated, rebooked or made accessible, you’re told that you can come in “if you want to risk your life”

public spaces are opening to able-bodied people with zero guidance on how to keep those around you safe or how to navigate the world if you are ‘compromised’

we have been told we are at huge risk, but disabled people have never been addressed directly by anyone in power, we have not been told that they will do whatever necessary to protect our lives

instead, we watch as the elderly and disabled are refused life-saving treatment, how deadly neglect in long-term care facilities is, and how cuts to health services are killing us. the entirety of society is deciding whether or not they think our lives are valuable

the messaging on how to navigate this pandemic is so all over the place and there is zero information on what to do if you are inmunocomprimised other than stay home till forever

these are all examples of the violence of bureaucracy and institutions, and how it is designed to let some of us “slip through the cracks” in order to profit, even in a pandemic where they should be fighting for our lives

i wish social services and society at large understood that giving people what they need makes them flourish, and creating barriers for access is deadly. i wish services were built from the premise that our lives are valuable, not expendable

there are so many examples (please share!) this is just my rant after being on hold with service canada for most of my week