Thread by @Imani_Barbarin

Hello, my name is Imani and many of you have followed me and other disabled people in recent weeks—out of panic.

Well, as a treat, here’s a thread around why not everyone with an underlying condition is considered “disabled” but everyone disabled has an “underlying condition.”

Ok, so first, let’s lay down some basic knowledge:

About a quarter of the US population has a disability. We make up about 19% of the non-institutionalized public, meaning there’s a sizeable amount of people with disabilities in state institutions, jails and prisons.

Also important to know that about 60% of the US population has an underlying health condition.

That’s quite the large disparity. Why isn’t everyone that has an “underlying health condition” considered a part of the disability community?

Well, there are several factors.

One of those would be the definition of a disability. While many think that there is, there are no disabilities listed under the definition of disability.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, a disability I’d only defined as a:

“physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment.”

So the definition is open ended, but as it relates

To the term “underlying conditions” the most important part is “limits one or more life activities.” Under capitalism not everyone who has an underlying condition can no longer be productive under the system.

Anything including asthma, diabetes, HIV and other conditions

Can technically be considered disabilities under the definition, but because of capitalism and a false narrative of a disability hierarchy, many are loathe to indentify themselves as disabled and instead use “condition” or “illness.”

There are also cultural implications to identifying as disabled. Because of white supremacy, ableism is often the language of racism and for many cultures, accepting “disability” is seen as accepting the “infirmity” narrative pushed upon them by whiteness.

Healthcare disparities also play a role. Many people do not have the ability of being diagnosed officially by a medical professional due to lack of healthcare, medical racism, fatphobia, homophobia and stereotypes. It’s for this reason it’s important to include the undiagnosed in

The Disability community.

Another issue I touched upon earlier is that people believe there’s a hierarchy to disability and mobility aids serve as visual representation of that hierarchy.

This is false, just because someone uses crutches or a wheelchair means they’re

“More disabled” than those who don’t use any. Invisible disabilities exist.

Which brings me to my 1st last point, under capitalism, it can be dangerous and harmful to be openly disabled. You can be pushed out of jobs, schools and housing is limited and relationships falter.

Discrimination isn’t illegal, but it still happens and often. So many are reluctant to share any diagnosis for fear of this treatment.

Finally, there are people who have no idea they have underlying conditions because access to medical care is rare or cause they “look healthy”

Disabled people are rightfully freaked out with the narrative that people with “underlying conditions are expendable” because while we know that our ranks are much larger than people know, we are often the most visual representations of “underlying conditions.”

So, I hope this clarifies somethings you’re seeing on here and in the media and why you can’t write off people with “underlying conditions.”

Fin.

In this thread I accidentally included a typo saying discrimination against disabled people “isn’t illegal.”

It’s incredibly illegal, but often goes unrecognized.