As January 20th approaches, many communities are preparing for the changes and uncertainty that lie ahead with the new administrations. Among the groups that feel unsafe and under threat, people with disabilities are rarely mentioned or included in the media coverage. Below are a few articles about the repeal of the ACA and how that will impact millions of people. When we think of showing solidarity with marginalized communities, remember that 1 in 5 Americans have a disability and that they are part of every facet of society.
To The Politicians Who Voted To Kill Me
“Late at night, while most of us were sleeping, the Senate voted to kill me. I’m sure that some of you will call me dramatic and say that I’m exaggerating. ‘They’re not going to repeal the Affordable Care Act without replacing it―and with something better!’
I’ve heard this so many times, yet even as the repeal has been voted on in the Senate and has been introduced in the House, I still haven’t seen a replacement bill introduced.”
– Huffington Post
‘This is a death sentence for me’: Patients react in horror to GOP’s late-night Obamacare repeal
– Brad Reed, Raw Story
Cancer Survivor Tells Paul Ryan: ‘I’d Be Dead’ Without Obamacare
– Huffington Post
Repealing The Affordable Care Act Will Destroy My Family
“When each provision of the Affordable Care Act became reality, it was like another prayer was answered.
Yet some of those same people who had prayed for us, month after month, were furious. They hated President Obama on principle — “Obamacare” could be nothing but a disaster to them. Over and over they railed against Obama’s overreach, voted for politicians who promised to repeal the ACA, ranted against the individual buyer mandate, and against “moochers” who wanted “free healthcare.” And then, when my husband’s next set of MRIs came around, they sent notes about their hopes and prayers…”
– Lea Grover, Bustle
What The Hell Do We Do About The ACA (“Obamacare”) Repeal?
– Meriah Nichols, meriahnichols.com
Exhibit A for Republican Obamacare repeal challenge: people with HIV
– Reuters
Donald Trump Will Be A Disaster For Autistic People
– Emily Willingham, Forbes
I’m a disabled American. Trump’s policies will be a disaster for people like me.
“For the millions of Americans with disabilities who depend on Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act to access the health care and public services that mean basic survival, it is policy — not personal insult — that has brought terror and despair in the aftermath of last night’s Trump victory.”
– Ari Ne’eman, Vox
What Will the Trump Administration Mean for People With Disabilities?
– Julia Bascom, Slate
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Alice Wong is a San Francisco-based degenerate television watcher, cat lover, and coffee drinker. Currently, she is the Founder and Project Coordinator for the Disability Visibility Project (DVP), a community partnership with StoryCorps and an online community dedicated to recording, amplifying, and sharing disability stories and culture. You can find her prowling around Twitter: @SFdirewolf
