KosAbility meets on the last Sunday of every month, this month 3/29, 4pm Pacific Time. ALL are welcome, and it’s an open thread.
Hi, friends —
This is a tough situation, and I hope you’re all taking it seriously and taking care of yourself. Even when we’re staying safe, it can feel very scary, and it’s hard not to feel helpless. Unlike the Great Pretender in the WH, our previous President has been tweeting stories of encouragement and factual “how to help” ideas. One story he tweeted was about a group of disabled activists in the Bay Area who are doing what they can, where they can:
https://www.kqed.org/news/11806414/coronavirus-how-these-disabled-activists-are-taking-matters-into-their-own-sanitized-hands
Coronavirus: How These Disabled Activists Are Taking Matters Into Their Own (Sanitized) Hands
Stacey Milbern never imagined she'd be making large batches of hand sanitizer in her kitchen.
But over the last week, as the spread of the coronavirus has hit the Bay Area — and the world — Milbern and four other volunteers, all of whom identify as disabled, queer people of color, have produced nearly 100 anti-coronavirus kits, and are distributing them to people living in Oakland homeless encampments.
Along with the hand sanitizer — which is 90% rubbing alcohol mixed with glycerine and aloe vera — the kits include disinfectant and an emergency vitamin mix, all made from scratch by members of the group in Milbern's East Oakland home (in consultation with a nurse practitioner), as well as an N95 respirator mask and gloves.
"We are particularly concerned with people in encampments who don’t have access to soap and water," said Milbern, who has muscular dystrophy and uses a ventilator to breathe.
Many in the disabled community are all too familiar with feeling isolatedand surviving in crisis mode, she said, when resources and support are in shortsupply. Her small group, which calls itself the Disability Justice Culture Club, wanted to use that DIY know-how to help their own community and other underserved populations.
...To receive or provide help or donate supplies or money, visit the group's Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/disabilityjusticecultureclub/
It’s well worth reading the whole thing. Besame mentioned this project in her story reporting on many aspects of consequences, good and bad, to disabled people due to the pandemic: Disabled people are still vulnerable, even as COVID-19 normalizes their ‘special’ needs.
So — is there anything we can do, with whatever our limitations are? I just realized that I have an over-abundance of fabric and elastic, and so I downloaded a pattern for a face mask and I’m gonna make a bunch to donate. Certainly, they are not as good as surgical masks, but I’ve heard that some hospitals and other sites are using bandanas! I have a list of what materials do the best at blocking particles and I will contact my local medical center (which has put out a desperate plea for any kind of PPE) and see if I can offer these, for cleaning staff or office workers, at least. So that’s one idea.
I’ve seen people with various expertise offering it online in videos… Has anyone else come up with other ways to help?