Ableism and the lack of human rights in the new COVID culture

In the culture of minimizing COVID, inequities and lack of basic human rights are being ignored. According to Johns Hopkins, COVID-19 is a disease that has killed over one million Americans and has left one in five people with long term health complications.

Although anyone is at risk of experiencing complications from COVID, certain groups of people, with a wide range of underlying health conditions, have been advised by their doctors to avoid contracting COVID. The CDC lists more than 21 health conditions which put a person at higher risk of developing complications from or dying from COVID, leading millions of people to fall into this category.

With the lack of COVID mitigations in many places, people with high risk medical conditions are faced with either accepting the high risk to their health or retreating from society to stay healthy. In many cases, people don’t have the option of simply isolating indefinitely at home and avoiding contact with others.

People with high risk medical conditions still need to go to the doctor, go to school, work to pay bills, and get groceries. The current minimization of COVID and its adverse effects on health, disregards the rights of a marginalized population of people.

Excluding people from society due to their disability or higher risk health situation and not making things safely accessible to them, is a form of Ableism and lacks the understanding of basic human rights. There should be safe options to do basic things, including go to school and attend school functions. Not providing safe options for all students in a public school system, for example, discriminates and creates an inequitable environment where all kids are not treated fairly and equally.

The Center For Disability Rights states that “ableism was established and holds its ground when nondisabled people choose not to include people with disabilities at the table.”

If the only options for disabled and medically high risk people are to either be excluded or simply accept the fact that they might get severely ill or die, it is clear they do not have a place “at the table.”