COVID-19

Disabled People Are Not Simply Dispensable During a Pandemic

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19. This post is not intended as medical advice. It’s hard to wash your hands to prevent the spread of coronavirus when you’re allergic to most bathroom hand soaps. I have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), a condition … Continued

Disabled, Not Disposable: Tinu

Listen to disability activist Tinu Abayomi-Paul on what happens when we start valuing people based on whether they’re “productive members of society.”

Call for Stories: Share your experiences to highlight the value of educational accommodations

In response to pandemic-related school closures, the U.S. Department of Education was considering waiving part of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the federal law that makes available a free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities. While they have since released a statement that this waiver will not happen, accessible virtual learning … Continued

Reminder: Non-Disabled People Aren’t the Only Ones Affected by COVID-19

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19. This post is not intended as medical advice. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve been staring at graphics that show how to wash your hands “properly.” I’m pretty sure my hands and wrists just don’t … Continued

Disability Accommodations and Supports Can Help Everyone Prevent COVID-19

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19. This post is not intended as medical advice. In light of the current coronavirus pandemic, Infection Prevention Guidelines are important measures of minimizing the spread of infection. Disabled people are one group at higher risk of getting … Continued

Coping with Suicidal Ideation Among the Uncertainty of COVID-19

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19. This post is not intended as medical advice. This post discusses suicide. If you or someone you know are in need of support, please reach out for support. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 En Español: 1-888-628-9454 For … Continued

Disability Rights Washington Files Complaint over COVID-19 Treatment Rationing Plan in Washington State

Our parent organization, Disability Rights Washington, has filed a complaint against Washington's plan to ration #COVID19 care and how it discriminates against disabled people. The #COVID19 rationing plan would give priority to treating people who are younger and healthier and leaves those who are older and sicker—people with disabilities—to die.

Working and Studying at Home Shouldn’t Be Pandemic-Only Accommodations

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19. This post is not intended as medical advice. As a disabled person with an autoimmune disorder, I of course find myself worried about being more susceptible to coronavirus. I’m concerned my recovery would be a lot more … Continued

What Can Experiences of Chemically Sensitive People Teach Us During Social Distancing?

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19. This post is not intended as medical advice. Author Disclaimer: I do not identify as a disabled person. I am the daughter of one and chose the Q&A format to lift up the voices of a remarkable … Continued

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Information, Response, and Planning for Washingtonians

This page will be updated as more information is made available. Last Updated: February 17, 2021   It’s important to take steps to protect yourself from COVID-19 and prevent further spread of the virus if you do become sick. Here is a list of other recommendations for staying safe, informed, and prepared.   Know Your Legal … Continued

Listen Up: Chronically Ill People Know What We’re Talking About When it Comes to COVID-19

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19. This post is not intended as medical advice. It was summer 2014, four months after the accident that left me with chronic illness and pain. I’d lost a third of my body weight. I was so sick … Continued

The Challenges of Being a Deaf Lip-Reader During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19. I’ve relied on reading lips for as long as I can remember. Cochlear implants have made it significantly easier for me to comprehend what I’m hearing, allowing me to loosen up on that particular need. However, I … Continued

We Need More Than Social Distancing. We Need Social Safety Nets.

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19. This post is not intended as medical advice. COVID-19 and the emergency responses from governments around the world are evidence we do not live in a society that works for everyone. While those of us at higher … Continued

Disabled, Not Disposable: Ariel

“I've seen a lot that concerns me, both the message that we should just, you know, take one for the team basically, that's kind of horrifying." - Ariel Henley on how disabled people are feeling about Coronavirus.

Enduring Chronic Pain During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19. This post is not intended as medical advice. My daughter’s voice woke me this morning. I open my eyes. I take a deep breath savoring the moment before the pain of the day began. My daughter is … Continued

For the Chronic Illness Community, Quarantine Life is Nothing New

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19. This post is not intended as medical advice. As someone who takes comfort in a daily routine, my days don’t differ all that much. I wake up late, with no particular place to go, prepare a nutrient-dense, … Continued

COVID19: Drive Thru Only Services Must Provide Access to People Who Cannot Drive

As a result of many businesses converting to drive-thru only, transit-dependent people, in particular members of the disability community who are blind and low-vision, aren’t able to access services.

In the Face of the Pandemic, A Reminder for Disabled People: You Are Enough

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19.  It has never been more evident that my nondisabled fellow Americans, maybe even the world, has a deep-seated hatred of disabled people and the chronically ill. Overreacting, you say? What else is it called when people casually … Continued

A Writer with Multiple Sclerosis Finds Unexpected Gratitude with an Antique Typewriter

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19. “Not another typewriter!” When my husband J.P. held open the box delivered by U.P.S. to reveal his latest acquisition, I lost it. As a neat freak, nothing sends me into a tizzy faster than clutter. But since … Continued

Disabled, Not Disposable – ChrisTiana

The impacts of COVID-19 have magnified structural inequities deeply rooted in our society. ChrisTiana ObeySumner talks about the need for discussions around solutions to delve deeper and include the bigger picture.

Disabled, Not Disposable – Eliza

"Profit shouldn't be part of the healthcare equation. It should be about making sure everybody has the care that they need." - Eliza Bates on the state of the healthcare system.

Disabled, Not Disposable – Joe

Why should people care about disabled folks in a crisis? Joe Stramondo puts it simply: "The value of disabled lives is that they are of value to the disabled people that live them."

How to Make Your Virtual Meetings and Events Accessible to the Disability Community

As meetings and events continue to take place in virtual spaces as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, accessibility is too often an afterthought. Even event organizers and activists who normally work to make sure their in-person events are accessible seem to forget that virtual events need to be accessible for the disability community, too. … Continued

I Take Hydroxychloroquine For My Autoimmune Disease. President Trump and Dr. Oz Pushing It As a Cure for COVID-19 Puts My Health— and the Health of Millions Like Me — at Risk.

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19. This post is not intended as medical advice. I take hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) for my autoimmune disease. Ever since President Trump and Dr. Oz promoted it as a miracle cure for COVID-19 — based on an unproven theory … Continued

When Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Turned “Sane” – COVID-19 and Double Standards

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19. I woke a March ago to the cruel, familiar feeling of unsubstantiated terror. Anxieties of tenuous relation folded in on one another until I felt I was carrying a cardboard box of feeling twice my size on … Continued

Deaf People Need Access to Information During Emergencies, Too

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19. This post is not intended as medical advice. 70 days. That was when the last time I saw my Italian husband, on the day he departed for Italy from Las Vegas, Nevada, where my family lives. I … Continued

I’m Autistic. Here’s Why I Think Social Distancing Should Be Respected, Regardless of COVID-19

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19. I am an autistic woman. I am also touch-averse. I have been touch-averse for as long as I can remember. I have sensory-processing disorder, which often goes along with autism. It’s hard to describe to people who … Continued

The COVID-19 Pandemic Makes it Clear: It’s Time to Permanently Close Institutions

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19. Content note: institutionalization I was born into what is called the “ADA Generation.” For my entire life, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has been the law of the land, protecting the rights of people with disabilities. … Continued

How Can Parents and Kids with Disabilities Cope During COVID-19?

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19.  In the age before the internet when many Autistic girls were misdiagnosed, my mother used to say, “Amy is like any other child, only more so.” As I have grown up, become a school psychologist, and also … Continued

We Cannot Neglect the Health Needs of Chronically Ill and Disabled People During the Pandemic

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19. This post is not intended as medical advice. Please note this post only uses first names and some names have been changed to protect privacy. As hospitals and doctor’s offices around the world go into lockdown to … Continued

My Educational Experiences with Attention Deficit Disorder and Why Accommodations are So Crucial

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19. The global pandemic has affected each of us in ways no one could have imagined. It has exposed the structural failures of many of the systems we took for granted before the world changed at the beginning … Continued

How LGBTQ+ Disabled People Are Celebrating Virtual Pride

Content note: includes mentions of COVID-19 and police brutality toward Black people Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, many in-person Pride events have been postponed or turned virtual. And while I do miss the experience of dressing in an all-rainbow outfit and celebrating in person with my friends—especially because a few of my close friends have come … Continued

The FDA’s Relaxed Food Labeling Guidelines in Response to the Pandemic are Dangerous

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19. If I hadn’t been born in the 20th century, I wouldn’t have survived infancy. Yet here we are, after decades of work to be sure people with chronic illnesses are able to keep ourselves safe, in the … Continued

Finding and Reclaiming Who I Am: a Biracial Black Transgender Man with Multiple Disabilities

Content note: includes discussion of COVID-19, police brutality toward Black people, murder of unarmed Black people, transphobia As I was moving my arms back and forth next to my wife in our very first protest, chanting Black Lives Matter, two beautiful strong brown-skinned African Americans in the midst of COVID-19 and racism pandemics, I was … Continued

How Can Black People Protect Their Mental Health Right Now?

Content note: includes discussion of COVID-19, police brutality toward Black people, murder of unarmed Black people The last few weeks have put Black people through the wringer. The footage of George Floyd’s death has sparked the largest protest in history with all fifty states and 18 different countries placing a giant spotlight on the effects … Continued

Reflecting on ADA 30 While Reckoning with COVID-19 and Racism

Content note: includes mentions of COVID-19 and police brutality toward Black people 2020 brought us the COVID-19 pandemic and shed a stark light on the pandemic of racism. The impact of both these pandemics continues to grow and serve as reminders of centuries of slavery, oppression, violence, and discrimination. This year also marks the 30th … Continued

As a Disabled Person, Expanded Access to Telehealth is One Result of the Pandemic That I Hope Will Continue

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19. For as awful a toll as the COVID-19 pandemic has exacted on our medical system, telehealth has been a bright spot for many in a sea of darkness and tragedy. It used to be that insurance companies … Continued

What Do You Do When You Can’t Wear A Mask?

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19. This post is not intended as medical advice. While much of the rest of the world is making its way back outside, nothing has really changed for me. It’s as if it’s still February, when the novel … Continued

Navigating Virtual Employment Services During the Pandemic

Navigating the dynamics of difference within the world of employment as a person with multiple disabilities has been a struggle since the moment I prepared to enter it at the age of 16 in 2001. I didn’t become aware of accommodations, self-advocacy skills, or my rights regarding employment as an individual with a disability until … Continued

The Dearest Friends Project: A Global Art Collaboration Centering Disability During COVID-19

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19.  My Dearest Friends, We mustn’t let this be forgotten- the time the world gained Perspective on a small portion of our struggles. We must make sure that this moment goes down in history so that we can … Continued

The Hardest Part of Being Disabled is Being Ignored

Content note: includes discussion of COVID-19 and racism World, I have so much to tell you. The question is, are you ready to listen? Because people with muscular dystrophy tend to die of respiratory failure, I’ve long expected to choke to death. These days, coronavirus is stealing people’s breath. If I died this year, my … Continued

Taking Care of My Mental Health During This Pandemic Holiday Season

The holidays can bring about emotions ranging from happiness and excitement to stress, grief, and loneliness. Figuring out how to navigate the many different elements of the holidays can be complicated, but it’s even more so this year as the COVID-19 pandemic surges. I find myself trying to hold on to moments of joy, embracing … Continued

Working From Home Levels the Playing Field for Disabled People. Why are Businesses so Intent on Returning to the Office?

I recently went viral on Twitter for sharing how a disabled friend was forced to quit her college back in January because the school wouldn’t allow her to study from home. Just two months later, she watched this exact accommodation made so easily for thousands of others when lockdown happened. I personally never graduated university. Mental … Continued

As COVID-19 Vaccinations Continue, Disabled People are Once Again at the Back of the Line

My husband Leor and I have been in lockdown for a year now. Neither of us can risk getting COVID-19. I’m at high risk for being infected. I also could have serious complications or death from it due to underlying chronic illness. My health problems include low immunoglobulin M (a condition that makes you more … Continued

On Zoom, No One Can See My Disability. It’s Changed How People Perceive Me.

Zoom turned out to be an equalizer of sorts. Everyone is enclosed in the same, small, pixelated box which only fits their head and maybe some shoulder. On Zoom, no one sees me in full. No one looks down at me because for once, we’re all on the same head level. No one glances awkwardly … Continued

Working from Bed Isn’t Lazy. It’s Accessible.

2020 was a year of change and adapting, something disabled people are already pros at doing. One of the biggest shake-ups was the move to working from home. As much of the workforce shifted from the office to wherever we could set ourselves up at home, a school of thought that disabled people have had … Continued

We Can’t Let Our Guard (Or Our Masks) Down

Recently, I overheard my father telling my husband about how he had quit his gym membership because they were requiring people to wear a mask during workouts. His list of reasons as to why this was uncomfortable for him was lengthy, and his belief that COVID-19 isn’t actually “that bad” did not help the situation. … Continued

Is Long COVID Leading to a Tipping Point in Attitudes Toward Chronic Illness?

Could long COVID spell the end of medical gaslighting? Let’s hope so. When Kathy Flaherty, a 53-year-old attorney and nonprofit executive director, got COVID-19 in March 2020, her friends said, “see you in two weeks.” Two weeks came and went, but she was no better. A former marathon runner, she could only take a walk … Continued

Virtual Events During Lockdown are Proof that Greater Accessibility is Possible

Before booking a ticket to any event, I have to figure out whether my disability will be accommodated. Although there are one billion disabled people globally, access is always stuck at the back of the priority queue for organisers and venue owners. Then the global pandemic happened and suddenly remote events were everywhere. After years … Continued

The Pandemic Created a Systemic Shift for Disability Rights and Accessible Space, Even If It Was Accidental

For the past 18 months or so during the pandemic, time stood somewhat still. Normal routines shifted or changed while still others fell off entirely. One that I missed deeply was my daily Starbucks run. Yes, they quickly adapted and offered drive up or curbside options, but it wasn’t until recently that I began slowly … Continued

The Pandemic Helped Me Disclose My Multiple Sclerosis

A simple question started it all. Last summer, a woman at my church named Jan was coordinating a socially-distanced approach for our annual school supply giveaway, and she asked if I’d be willing to staff a tent as part of a drive-through event in August. Before the pandemic, I rarely told acquaintances about my multiple … Continued