Disabled people have been trying to warn the public for years that “you do you” Covid policies were leading to increased discrimination and eugenics attitudes.
When States began criminalizing masks, we pleaded for support. We asked our non disabled peers to wear a mask in solidarity.
When healthcare facilities dropped masking, we called out the 10% fatality rate of hospital acquired COVID. We again asked for support. We begged people not to view us as expendable.
What did we hear in response??
Just stay home
How many comorbids do you have?
That person was probably going to die anyways
Survival of the fittest
The voices of those who hate us got louder and louder. Public spaces became increasingly unsafe, and we normalized large numbers of deaths and disability.
Now Trump is coming after accessibility. He’s ordering federal employees hired under “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility” programs to be put on paid leave and have a written plan to lay them off by Jan 31st. They’re going to literally force them to “just stay home”
He’s also frozen all civil rights cases at the Justice Department, which is responsible for handling ADA complaints.
He explains that we’re moving to a “merit based” society… which is a fancy way of saying disabled and marginalized people not welcome.
I urge all Americans to fight for the ADA. Fight for people hired under DEIA programs to keep their jobs.
We are not “less than”. We’ve been fighting for survival in a world that has told us over & over that they’re content to leave us by the wayside. Taking our employment is just another step towards making us disappear forever.
Wear a mask. Speak up. Support businesses run by marginalized and disabled individuals. Reach out to them and ask them how you can provide support.
Don’t leave us by the wayside.
https://www.npr.org/2025/01/22/nx-s1-5270721/trumps-crackdown-on-deia-programs-within-the-federal-government-is-underway
