Another great column from s.e.smith, who goes deep into the flock of starlings metaphor. The topic is the surge of people newly disabled by post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2, better known as Long Covid. While disability elders can see this as a chance to mentor the newbies, it’s also a chance for us to see the world anew:
( 340 words )
https://catapult.co/stories/se-smith-year-in-review-long-covid-disability-chronic-illnessThe Society for Disability Studies is the academic home for people who understand disability from the social (justice) model. They’ve been publishing Disability Studies Quarterly since the 1980s. DSQ mixes up high academic and practical activism — it’s always worth checking out their open access archive if you’re interested in anything related to disability. The SDS is not a rich academic group, so they’ve recently partnered with Ohio State University’s ongoing Multiple Perspectives on Inclusion conference to maintain an in-person annual gathering. I’ve attended SDS several times, always learning a lot and (typically) never wrote up the sessions.
This year the con was held online. It turned out to be much cheaper — they had been paying hotel costs of ~$200/hour — and more accessible for some of us. (Nothing like attending a session while reclining in bed — thanks to my iPad holder.) Virtual meetings are by their nature easier to record; the SDS have promised to make all the sessions available — video, captioning transcript, supporting text and slide shows — for a month after the conference’s end. (While this hasn’t happened yet, it doesn’t surprise me. The conference organizers — most of them disabled — were operating at 160% effort and negligible sleep for a month before the 4 April start date.)
For the past week world news has overtopped my mind-wall, and I've been getting more and more anxious. THEN a few things I’ve encountered in the past two days have helped me talk myself down off the ledge and into a spurt of positivism.
I can't know what will happen, so worrying really won't make a difference. I can put that energy into following the social distancing guidelines and supporting my friends.
Positivity Trigger One was my wonderful local bookstore, Room of One’s Own. ( This is how a bookstore becomes a community leader )
Positivity Infusion Two is what’s happening in my town. The struggle between US Federal and state-level governments is always contentious. Right now, Federal leadership has been weak, but my city, county, and state officials took the cue from Anthony Fauci (who has earned public trust through plain speaking on the AIDS epidemic, although I'm sure he made many mistakes along the way). Local leaders are making decisions. They're setting deadlines. Events may push decisions beyond those deadlines, but we can burn that bridge when we come to it!
For example:
Gatherings of 250 or more are cancelled (including places of worship and religious gathering centers)
Our library system has cancelled programming, but is keeping the libraries themselves open because they serve a crucial information function. They are hosting in-person absentee voting ahead of our April 7 primary.
Positivity Capstone Three was an Ask.MetaFilter thread on the question, Any Tips for Dealing with Coronavirus Anxiety? Many good answers there. This comment opened me up to consider how remarkable the response has been.
Have you encountered positivity amidst the panic? Share!
The HIV Crisis In The Deaf Community
This excellent article highlights big troubles.
https://intomore.com/into/a-sign-of-trouble-the-hiv-crisis-in-the-deaf-community/f8ff168f3766425d
Just one story:
A gay Deaf man new to DC attempts to set up an interpreted appoint at a queer friendly clinic; after waiting for 45 minutes he's escorted to a room with a video relay interpreter:
Some context: Since Washington DC is home to Gallaudet University, they have a very large and skilled interpreter workforce. ( Two videos with ASL, captions, and audio )begin quote
All I wanted to do was to set up an appointment at a later date with the doctor and a live ASL interpreter. That’s all I want.
She looked at the note, smiled, and wrote, “We don’t do that here. ASL interpreters are expensive. This is a cheaper alternative.”
I looked at the note, shook my head, “No.” I got the feeling that this was not going to be a “Deaf-friendly” nor “Deaf accessible” and got up and started to leave when she grabbed my arm. I looked at her quizzically with her writing furiously on the note. She wrote, “You do qualify for our services but you have to understand, we can’t afford it.”
I looked at her disappointedly and wrote: “I find it ironic that the HIV-positive community is knowledgeable with the ADA law and uses it to the betterment for the community and yet can’t provide for their own.”
quote ends
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