being understood . When the pandemic first hit , the public was up in arms about adjusting to life at home — the isolation , the lack of access . These are things that many disabled and chronically ill people had experienced . Disabled people had been trying forever to advocate for online learning , for accommodations in the workplace . The response was : “ Oh , we don ’ t have the resources ,” “ It ’ s just not possible .” But with the majority inconvenienced , it happened . Suddenly people actually had to think about access , flexibility . That is ableism , where you don ’ t think disabled people exist , you don ’ t think sick people exist .
Q : Have you noticed that kind of thinking more since the pandemic began ? Well , yes , in the way our leaders talk about the risks , the mortality , about people with severe illnesses , as if they ’ re a write-off . I am so tired of having to assert myself . What kind of world is this where we have to defend our humanity ? What is valued in our society ? Clearly , someone who can walk and talk and has zero comorbidities . It is an ideology , just like white supremacy . All our systems are centered around it . And so many people are discovering that they ’ re not believed by their doctors , and this is something that a lot of disabled and sick people have long experienced . We want to believe in this mythology that everybody ’ s equal . My critique is not a personal attack against Dr . Walensky ; it ’ s about these institutions that historically devalued and excluded people . We ’ re just trying to say , “ Your messaging is incredibly harmful ; your decisions are incredibly harmful .”
Q : Which decisions ? The overemphasis on vaccinations versus other mitigation methods . That is very harmful because people still don ’ t realize , yeah , there are people with chronic illnesses who are immunocompromised and have other chronic conditions who cannot get vaccinated . And this back and forth , it ’ s not strong or consistent about mask mandates . With omicron , there is this huge pressure to reopen schools , to reopen businesses . Why don ’ t we have free tests and free masks ? You ’ re not reaching the poorest and the most vulnerable who need these things and can ’ t afford them .
Q : How has your life changed during the pandemic ? For the last two years , I have not been outside except to get my vaccinations .
Q : Because you ’ re so high-risk ? Yeah . I have delayed so many things for my own health . For example , physiotherapy . I don ’ t get lab tests . I ’ ve not been weighed in over two years , which is a big deal for me because I should be monitoring my weight . These are things I ’ ve put on hold . I don ’ t see myself going in to see my doctor any time this year . Everything ’ s been online — it ’ s in a holding pattern . How long can I take this ? I really don ’ t know . Things might get better , or they might get worse . So many things disabled people have been saying have been dismissed , and that ’ s been very disheartening .
Q : What kinds of things ? For example , in California , it was almost this time last year when they removed the third tier for covid vaccine priority . I was really looking forward to getting vaccinated . I was thinking for sure that I was part of a high-risk group , that I ’ d be prioritized . And then the governor announced that he was eliminating the third tier that I was a part of in favor of an age-based system . For young people who are highrisk , they ’ re screwed . It just made me so angry . These kinds of decisions and values and messages are saying that certain people are disposable .
28 Accessibilty for All To Table of Contents