Coronavirus and Climate: How our leaders have failed the disabled and immunocompromised
For the disabled and immunocompromised, the novel coronavirus has not only created a dangerous public health crisis, but it has also exacerbated the grotesque inequities that exist within American society. Our leaders have failed to step up to protect those most at risk and consistently favored corporate interests over the American people.
Disabled activists have been fighting for years to secure progressive policies such as Medicare For All and a Green New Deal, both of which would drastically improve millions of lives. They would lift people out of medical debt and poverty, and provide millions of green jobs. And yet, politicians that have been bought out by oil and pharmaceutical corporations have stood in the way of actual progress. We already know that catastrophic crises such as climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic have horrific consequences among those with health conditions. According to a group of researchers from the American Meteorological Society, climate change “affects human health through the exacerbation of existing health conditions, which means the most vulnerable are those with the weakest health protection systems and least adaptive capacity” (Gaskin). Therefore, individuals of the disabled community endure a particular kind of systematic marginalization when it comes to crises such as COVID-19 and climate change. And of course, “despite composing about 15% of the world’s population, representations of the interests of people with disabilities are comparatively absent from climate change discourses” (Gaskin). Simply put, there is more that must be done to prioritize disabled needs.
Both of these crises have also brought out the most grotesque inequities from our current healthcare system and economy. While our economy is expected to experience 25 percent unemployment, billionaires and CEOs continue to rack up billions in profits. Clearly, there is a massive systemic problem within our society, as Danny Hakim touches upon in his The New York Times article, titled “‘It’s Hit Our Front Door’: Homes for the Disabled See a Surge of Covid-19”: “As the coronavirus preys on the most vulnerable, it is taking root in New York’s sprawling network of group homes for people with special needs” (Hakim). Hakim explains how fevers are spreading among residents in special needs group homes and many are in need of coronavirus treatment. However, due to the scarcity of ventilators and PPE, those who are disabled or immunocompromised are getting inadequate treatment and are often even neglected, especially in states such as New York. Hakim continues by citing a study that found “residents of group homes and similar facilities in New York City and surrounding areas were 5.34 times more likely than the general population to develop Covid-19 and 4.86 times more likely to die from it” (Hakim). Disability advocates have grown increasingly concerned about the level of neglect and some have even “filed a federal complaint against the administration of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, claiming that state policies treat the developmentally disabled as second-class citizens who will be less likely to get access to ventilators, should there be a shortage” (Hakim). The situation in special needs group homes directly highlights the disparities between the care healthy people are receiving versus disabled folk. It emphasizes how able-bodied folk are much more privileged, despite the fact that the coronavirus could harm anyone and everyone. While the virus itself may not be ableist, the systems in place certainly are.
Our politicians have continuously failed Americans when it comes to government responses to both crises as well, both pandemic and climate related. With regard to climate, government agencies have had “limited (or no) application of universal design principles (i.e., designing environments, products, and communications that are accessible to everyone” (Gaskin). Meaning, governments have a long way to go in order to be truly accessible to everyone in society, particularly for those who are disabled. This becomes deadly when it comes to government escape routes and protocols that leave the disabled behind or in a significantly vulnerable situation. As natural disasters and extreme weather become a normal way of life due to climate change, disabled people will be particularly at risk largely due to our leaders’ inaction. Furthermore, as mentioned previously, there are powerful pieces of legislation already written to combat such horrible, existential and permanent climate consequences from happening, such as the Green New Deal. However, our politicians in office are frequently bought out by Shell and Exxon Mobil who stand to lose the most from these sweeping pieces of progressive legislation.
Now, our government’s inaction has shifted primarily to the coronavirus, where thousands have died and the disabled and immunocompromised are particularly at risk. Rather than provide free test kits and rush to pass universal healthcare, however, our politicians have resorted to downplaying the threat of the virus and considering reopening the economy, which would be deadly for many. According to Catherine Kim, who writes in “Immunocompromised people are anxious about being left behind in the coronavirus pandemic” at Vox, “Trump’s rush to get people back to their jobs would have dire consequences for immunocompromised people” (Kim). After all, “returning to work would mean risking death” (Kim) which goes to show how far the government is willing to go to prioritize the economy and the stock market over the wellbeing of its citizens. Therefore, it is abundantly clear that “the government’s narrative … prioritizes the economy over people,” a dangerous rhetoric that puts disabled people particularly at risk (Kim).
Disabled Americans have had enough. They are consistently on the front lines of our crises and are being left behind and neglected when it comes to both legislation and medical care. Our government’s inaction is horrific and careless; every day that passes, the need for sweeping legislation such as Medicare For All and a Green New Deal becomes more and more abundantly clear. As a nation, we must put people over profit in order to save lives and help one another through this unprecedented and incredibly difficult time in history.
Works Cited
Gaskin, C.J., D. Taylor, S. Kinnear, J. Mann, W. Hillman, and M. Moran. “Factors Associated with the Climate Change Vulnerability and the Adaptive Capacity of People with Disability: A Systematic Review.” American Meteorological Society, Oct. 2017. https://doi.org/10.1175/WCAS-D-16-0126.1. Accessed 6 March 2020.
Hakim, Danny. “‘It’s Hit Our Front Door’: Homes for the Disabled See a Surge of Covid-19.” The New York Times, 17 April 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/08/nyregion/ coronavirus-disabilities-group-homes.html. Accessed 18 April 2020.
Kim, Catherine. “Immunocompromised people are anxious about being left behind in the coronavirus pandemic.” Vox, 27 March 2020. https://www.vox.com/identities/2020/3/27 /21195024/immunocompromised-coronavirus-covid19-trump. Accessed 18 April 2020.
