When people read how folks were aiming for sickness because they never got a break off work, many rightfully agreed. However, others who dealt with disabilities experienced skepticism, so it makes sense to discuss a bit about that lifestyle. Some people wish they could get some rest because they get 3-5 hours of sleep per night, and very poorly at that. Anyone familiar with chronic fatigue immune deficiency syndrome would desperately wish to have one day where they could survive off 3-5 hours of sleep.
Instead of resting, imagine that one can barely take time to get to doctors’ appointments because of having to rideshare for most of the day. Forget about taking public transit if there is more than one appointment, because often, clinics are located in different parts of the city. Commercial real estate is marketed on the hopes and dreams of would-be entrepreneurs, so the pricing is variable, meaning that doctors could be anywhere. Good luck with a specialist who shares an office and pays insurance premiums that cost more than a mortgage. So, already disability means physical illness and a lack of spare time.
The people with physical disabilities just got alerted because they would remind me that paying for either a place to live or a car to get to appointments might as well be a leprechaun for those living on social security assistance. “The market” means that unless someone makes a middle six-figure, most people on disability are spending hours, if not days, filling out paperwork just to access those benefits. Some people have help, but many do not, which is one reason people have started seeing more unhoused people with disabilities.
Is the result the same as those “on vacation” with COVID, monkey pox, RSV, and other immediate-quarantine illnesses? Yes, because the conclusion is the same: desperation. The real reason people fear disabled populations is because the sense of existential dread is palpable. Everyone hopes never to be hit by a car, but due to those fatigued drivers working 80+ hours per week, now people simply hope not to be too badly injured so that they can still work. People understand being trapped behind paperwork and waiting lists, and they do not want it for themselves. Since this is the case, perhaps the real solution would mean making disabilities less of a poverty sentence and normalization of how people should be allowed to have different lives, and still survive.
Have I told you lately how talented, and kind you are? I love this piece. Hit the nail on the head.
It’s why people need a variety of people in their lives, so that we gain knowledge about different experiences.