A thread on how to support people in the shielding group in this period after coming out of lockdown.
The shielding period DID end at the end of July, however a lot of people from this group are still shielding for their safety or are still being very cautious about going out.

I'm in the shielding group because of the medication I take for ulcerative colitis (just in case anyone doesn't know and is wondering why I'm talking about this).
Will also note that I'm in Edinburgh so this is based on the stage of reopening that we're currently at.

Disclaimer: this thread isn't personal to anyone in my life and all of my own friends have been amazing! I've written it more as a piece of shareable info for anyone who wants it.

Ok, to start with- if you're making social plans and are not sure whether to invite your shielding group friends, please please invite us. There's a chance we might say no, but not getting an invite because of illness or disability really doesn't feel nice.

The next thing to think about is that after we've gotten an invite, we might say no. And you need to respect this!

Yes, the government has now advised us to stop shielding but some people have made the decision that continuing with shielding is the safest decision for their health. And if anyone you know has made this decision, it's theirs to make and you need to respect it!

This feels like a good time to say- keep in touch online and keep doing phone calls and/or video calls! For people who are still shielding or are trying to limit leaving the house, calls can be a nice, less stressful way to socialise!

I'm aware that there's so much to say about accessibility in the context of virtual/ phone meetings and socialising (both inside and outside the pandemic). There are a lot of people sharing great resources about this so I'll try and share some info and threads on the topic later!

When it comes to in-person meet-ups, some of us might say yes to some types of meet-up and no to others. I'm an example of this because I don't go inside bars or restaurants but I'm happy to eat or drink outdoors, or go to the park or someone's home.

A lot of people have different variations of this. And this brings me to....planning gatherings where we feel comfortable!
If it's possible, pick a day with good weather and plan a trip to the park or an outdoor activity (outdoor food markets can be great for this).

Think about transport. A lot of people aren't comfortable getting on public transport at the moment and also a lot of people don't drive. Consider choosing things within walking distance if this is possible. If it's not walkable, check that people will be able to get there.

eg. if some people drive and others don't, try and plan things closer to the non-drivers/arrange to share a lift or a taxi if this is possible. Also even for outdoor gatherings, think about crowds and how busy the location might be!

Consider planning to meet your friends in smaller groups or one-on-one.

Don't hug people or come into their space unless you're absolutely sure they're comfortable with it (this is a good rule to have for life in general and maybe feels like an obvious one but I'm saying it anyway)!

Would love to hear opinions and suggestions from other people in the shielding group!

People with illnesses and disabilities are just as deserving of a social life as everyone else (despite many people trying to convince us that we're not)!
And on that note, I'll end my thread!