People make insensitive comments about disability ALL the time. Implying we’re “lucky” that we don’t have to work, that they wish they could “lay around” etc.
They don’t understand the “crip tax”.
It’s expensive being chronically ill. And no one teaches you HOW to cope.
Even if you’re fortunate to have good insurance and/or live somewhere with universal healthcare (like Canada)… the costs add up quick.
Take Canada for example - seeing a doctor is covered - medications, dental and vision aren’t.
If you have complex chronic illness - prescription costs alone can quickly spiral out of control.
Even if you have private coverage - many things aren’t covered. Almost half of what I take wouldn’t be covered by insurance - even with specialist prescription.
Other costs people don’t consider:
💰 Special diet (mine is incredibly restrictive)
💰 Medical and first aid supplies, home healthcare supplies etc
💰 Delivery, homecare, cleaning services, transportation, mobility aids.
If you have MCAS and/or Long Covid or are covid cautious … you can add a whole bunch more expenses to the list:
💰Air purifiers
💰Specialized body & oral care products
💰MCAS safe cleaning products
💰Respirators
💰Rapid tests
The bottom line is being disabled is expensive. Losing your autonomy and independence costs money.
Juggling everything we need to stay alive and maintain a baseline while also trying to ensure we keep a roof over our heads is a full time job.
As if that wasn’t enough - we also have to chase down doctors, follow up on tests, deal with medical gaslighting, covid risk in hospitals, HCWs who won’t mask etc. We do this while suffering the pain of being abandoned by family, friends & society.
It’s not lucky. It’s hard.
There’s other costs people never even consider - like the cost of relying on delivery services that more often than not get it wrong.
In my case - my diet is so restrictive that if a shopper brings the wrong item - it’s going to go to waste.
When you only have about ten safe foods and your delivery screws up five of them - you’re either going to go hungry for a week OR you have to place another order.
But orders have minimum spends and you have to tip a shopper twice. That adds up FAST.
I can’t tell you how much I miss being able to just pop to the store and get my own groceries. Grab a single ingredient without having to meet a minimum spend.
Many non disabled people see grocery shopping as a chore - I see it as a luxury I no longer have.
These are the types of issues you have to deal with when you become disabled that NO ONE teaches you about. 1/2 🧵
#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #bullying #CleanAirClassrooms #criptax