The COVID-19 pandemic started almost a year ago and has brought a lot of changes into our world. Some have been for the better and some have been for the worse.

Some of the things that have changed are things that should have already existed long before the pandemic even happened.

When you say "it only really affects the elderly and high-risk community so don't worry about it" you are saying that you don't care if that person lives or dies.

Before Covid, the disabled/chronically ill community has been largely ignored, all of the things that the community has been requesting for years are suddenly available because the non-disabled seem to really need it.

Things such as working from home, more online classes, curbside pick up for grocery stores, colleges have remote office hours, virtual doctor appointments, etc.

So where was all of this before, why wasn't the community kept in mind before. The sheer fact that this is just now a thing really shows how little regard society has for the disabled/chronically ill.

In my last year of college, I needed one more class to graduate, and before the switch to online, the summer class I needed was originally going to be hybrid (online with face to face) at the time I lived an hour away from the school during summer, and when lockdown happened I moved out of my residence hall back to my hometown. Not only was it inconvenient because of distance, but it also didn't keep in mind the disabled students who need the class and may not be able to get there. I didn't have a license (due to anxiety and autism hopefully soon though) so how was I to get there.

Can we also mention how some people who are part of the community haven't really left their houses even a year later, while people are out partying, drinking mimosas, complaining about "their rights" people who are disabled/chronically ill have had to put off appointments and procedures because of covid because many of them are part of the "high risk'' and catching covid for them could be a death sentence.

When you say "isolate the high risk only, why should the rest of us be on lockdown" you are saying that they shouldn't be allowed out because you "need to get your nails done"

That person you infect could be your mother, father, sibling, neighbor, best friend, significant other, or even your Uber driver or delivery person (that cant work remotely but need that job to pay rent).

The complaints about the covid vaccine are also ableist, there are still many anti-vaxxers that believe that taking vaccines causes Autism. They go to far when they use us as examples of why they won't get vaccinated or let their kids get vaccinated. Even if they did cause autism, would you rather have an autistic kid or a dead kid?

When the virus runs its course (it will happen) please keep these accessible options open, keep online classes as an option, more work from home jobs, more virtual meetings, stop hogging the delivery services, and rideshares. Be better allies to the community.

Wear and mask and wash your hands (this can also protect them)!