Thread by @magi_jay

There are absolutely huge barriers to accessing services for poor &/or rural Americans. So much needs to be improved, from cutting red tape to providing better info. But I think it's somewhat infantilizing to claim vulnerable people don't know how to make appointments at Rite Aid

Am I saying we shouldn't do more to improve access to services? Absolutely not. We should focus on the *real* issues that vulnerable people face. They are not incapable of navigating the world. They've done so for years. If we pretend they can't, it's both distracting & insulting

I am also not saying that technology isn't a barrier. It is a big one! We should talk about how to improve it. My point is that, on this website, people talk about vulnerable people as if they are incapable of doing *anything* to manage their own lives, when that is not the case.

I live in a rural community where there is a very high rate of disability. The disabled people here absolutely need help. They are also incredibly resilient. We need to make society better for them. That requires looking at the actual barriers they face & not infantilizing them.

The people here know how to get to a pharmacy. They know that's where they can get shots. The real problem is not their knowledge, but snow on the sidewalks & transport more generally. So I'm working in my community to make sure sidewalks are cleared for people in wheelchairs.

These folks *know* how to navigate their worlds. What we need to do is make this navigation much easier, as well as to improve their worlds over all. This is why we should advocate for the elder/disability care portion of Build Back Better. It would vastly improve so many lives.

Additionally, getting a shot at Rite Aid is pretty easy. Other things are less so, like signing up for more comprehensive services. Many don't even know these services exist or are overwhelmed by the process. That's why the Biden admin is working on cutting red tape for services

I have a friend who is in a wheelchair. He has one lung and only one functional arm, due to a stroke. Now he has a hernia b/c he tried to use his functional arm to dig himself out of the snow. He knows how to get to Rite Aid. The snow stops him.

My friend also knows how to make doctors' appointments. He's got one now for the hernia repair. What my friend needs is:
-more money from the gov't
-elder/disability care, of which regular human company would be a big part
-snow removal
If you want to help him, advocate for BBB

I am absolutely *not* saying that there are no Americans living in isolation. I am saying that the way we talk about vulnerable people in general is distracting & insulting. And the needs of people in one community may not be the same as the needs of people in other communities.

My friend needs the sidewalks cleared. People in another community might not have sidewalks at all. Both are issues that need fixing. That's what we should focus on. Actual issues. Above all, people need BBB's expanded elder/disability care. People need human contact.

I also find it frustrating & odd that some folks on this site spend more time claiming vulnerable people have no idea how to navigate their worlds than they do advocating for policies like elder/disability care. Home care would be a game-changer for those who have trouble w/ tech

There is a world of difference btwn
1. identifying all of the very real issues facing vulnerable people, many of which make things like trips to the pharmacy difficult
&
2. claiming vulnerable people have no knowledge of how the world works or how to navigate their own lives

Please also note I am *not* saying that I believe access to vaccine-related info has been equitable. In fact, I have frequently argued on this website that not all vaccinated people should be lumped together. My point is much more general: don't infantilize vulnerable people.