Thread by @careliaryu

1/I've said many times that I am poor because I am unemployed (except for my writing) and I am unemployed because I am disabled.

I am now officially rejecting that shit.

I am still disabled. I still am not employed.

#Disability #ChronicIllness #poverty

2/But the reason I am unemployed is because society has deemed me disposable. This isn't on me.

#disabled #DisabledPeopleMatter #PplWDisabilitiesMATTER

3/It's because society has decided the WANTS of the abled (specifically in my case, to use fragrance and decorate with balloons) are more important than my survival. This isn't on me.

#BanBalloonsInstead #fragrance #MCS #MCAS #allergy #asthma

4/It's because society only values people who can work 40+ hours a week and function within specific, very narrow, parameters. This isn't on me.

#CapitalismSucks #UniversalBasicIncome

5/It's because society only normalizes certain accommodations to people with different needs (eyeglasses, adjustable seats in cars, and sunscreen all come to mind) ...

#AbleismSucks

6/... while others are vilified, mocked, dismissed, appropriated, or seen as being necessary only because of character flaws or laziness (straws, wheelchairs, service animals, stimming, handicapped parking, and pharmaceuticals, to name just a few). This isn't on me.

7/ "...the moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; those who are in the shadows of life; the sick, the needy and the handicapped. " Last Speech of Hubert Humphrey

8/Not just government, but society. Society has failed us.

This isn't on me.

9/Had some more thoughts on this: Even if society fixed all this crap, I'd still be sick (genetics and all). It won't solve everything. But it would sure help a lot, esp if "every human on the planet is interdependent" were a more normalized concept.

10/I may never be traditionally employable due to my illnesses, but that doesn't mean I don't contribute. Capitalistic society (by and large) just doesn't see all of those contributions as valuable, and that part CAN change, even if my actual contribution can't.

11/I do what I can with what I have--society could allow me to have more tools to work with, and value what I can accomplish (instead of removing tools, blaming me for not having them once they've been removed, and turning my accomplishments into inspiration porn).

12/I'd still be sick, but if I had appropriate medical access, I would be the healthiest I CAN be. With other supports, I'd have a buffer to fall back on, and might be able to do more knowing I have a safe place to land. #UniversalBasicIncome #MedicareForAll

13/But even if I couldn't do more, that doesn't change my worth as a human being. Our society has really flubbed that one by conflating income with worth.

14/Accessibility is critically important. But more than just curb cuts and straws, we need to be heard, and we need to be taken seriously. 25% of Americans have a disability. We're not an afterthought. #AbleismSucks

15/We need to be allowed to fully participate in our own medical care. Esp with #RareDisease, we may genuinely have more knowledge of our disease than our doctor does. Stop treating us like ignorant toddlers or fodder for TV shows. #EDS #MCAS #Afflicted

16/And-disabilities are not created equal. People with chronic illness have different challenges than people with cord injuries than people with developmental issues. I don't want to #EndAutismNow. I love my brain. But I would happily #EndMCASNow or #EndChronicPainNow.

17/I love (LOVE) the social model of disability, for the issues it works for. Every single human on the planet is unique and we all deserve to be given the supports we need to be the best we can be. But that won't suddenly give me the ability to eat more than 10 foods.

18/I have no idea where I am really going with this. 😂Just wanted to add some thoughts after reading some other threads, and it's mostly me procrastinating instead of finishing my novella. ✍️🧚‍♀️🧚‍♂️🤴