{"id":5084231,"date":"2020-04-15T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-15T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ctlatinonews.com\/opinion-your-temporary-covid-19-inconvenience-is-for-people-with-disabilities-a-permanent-reality\/"},"modified":"2020-04-15T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2020-04-15T04:00:00","slug":"opinion-your-temporary-covid-19-inconvenience-is-for-people-with-disabilities-a-permanent-reality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/ctln\/2020\/04\/15\/opinion-your-temporary-covid-19-inconvenience-is-for-people-with-disabilities-a-permanent-reality\/","title":{"rendered":"Opinion: Your temporary COVID-19 inconvenience is for people with disabilities a permanent reality"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/doris.maldonado.986?fref=search&amp;__tn__=%2Cd%2CP-R&amp;eid=ARBj9m6D0DHg4NMTYAC77OMJGZVtERLYkL1Wk5-biuXLcC8AUz12p_0YiOAKeAAUbNzYk7U41CBQhMzm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Doris Maldonado <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">People with disabilities have been in perpetual quarantine long before COVID-19. That\u2019s right! While you&#8217;re drowning in a few weeks of our reality; it&#8217;s been this bad for many of us for much longer. For some of us, it&#8217;s been an entire lifetime.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My name is Doris Maldonado, resident of West Hartford, a co-chair at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ctkeepthepromise.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Keep The Promise Coalition<\/a> &amp; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ushartford.com\/working-for-justice\/accessibility-inclusion-ministry-aim-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Unitarian Society of Hartford Accessibility &amp; Inclusion Ministry <\/a>and I am a person with disabilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I am the mother of twin sons diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit&nbsp; Hyperactive Disorder,&nbsp;Reactive Attachment Disorder, Neurocognitive &amp; Comprehension disorder, CVA, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Spinal Stenosis, Exotropia, Aphasia, Asthma &amp; Puberty. <\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My sons and I have been indefinitely quarantined. We\u2019ve survived endless gas lit eras for the sake of \u201cequity\u201d and \u201csocial distancing\u201d.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I  am a proud Puerto Rican woman with bachelor\u2019s degrees and a master\u2019s in education.&nbsp;&nbsp;Between my sons and I&nbsp;&#8211; we don over 15 physical and mental health diagnoses, declared medically complex and have been alienated for all intents and purposes.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">2004<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\"> Physical therapy at the Children&#8217;s Hospital, 2011 <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Pre-K Graduation<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">People with disabilities have been in perpetual quarantine and economic divide long before COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the disadvantaged, our advantage is the chronic default of \u201cmaking do with less.\u201d Having leaders make light of flapping hands or propose a process of elimination for COVID-19 testing or PPE based on survival of the fittest remains our sobering reality.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes! It\u2019s exhausting having to \u201ckeep it together\u201d while being \u201cgrounded\u201d under legal mandate.&nbsp;&nbsp;Everything is not \u201cok\u201d and for those of us that have lived the farce of empty promises disguised with smiles and applause, life isn\u2019t a box of chocolates.&nbsp;&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Limited access to physicians, education, housing, finance, safety, medicine, recreation, socializing, quality time and quality air?&nbsp;&nbsp;Wow!&nbsp;&nbsp;It\u2019s not sci-fi- it\u2019s the American Reality show!&nbsp;&nbsp;We\u2019ve been forced to \u201cpresent well\u201d and, when even that lie isn\u2019t enough to appease typical peers, we\u2019re shamed as self-serving and \u201cpity party\u201d mongers.&nbsp;&nbsp;Oh, we\u2019re \u201cthose people\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Welcome to our new year\u2019s twilight marathon!&nbsp; Somehow, tele-health, transportation, medicine, groceries, take-out, video conferencing, work, extracurriculars, sports, concerts and even ALCOHOL are now delivered at little to no cost to a device or door near you!&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Free meals for students, distance learning, one-on-one outdoor trips, voting, housing and-A STIMULUS for all when there was \u201cno budget\u201d to help the homeless, disabled, children in care, veterans and aging-will be beamed into online accounts sooner than later.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There was NO budget for the disabled for supports like supplemental income, computers for marginalized students-let alone cell phones ensuring we were all connected. Now internet providers and even pay per view shows are waving fees!&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So many of our people remain tired, poor, huddled in masses and yearning to breathe free while quarantined for decades from basic human liberties.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">1 in 5 people experience mental illness while 1 in 6 has 1 or more developmental disabilities. What is now a nuisance, alarm or threat for the privileged, is NOT a nuance for the rest of us.&nbsp;We, the adults and children with physical and mental disabilities, those in care and people with economic and housing insecurity have been fighting for our lives and survival long before the star-spangled banners waved.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, welcome to our reality. Your weeks of stay-at-home, stay-safe inconvenience is our day in and day out. Now that COVID19-19 has woken you from your happily-ever-after slumber and given you a taste of what it\u2019s like to walk in the shoes of the disabled &#8211; don\u2019t just do something about getting basic resources for the short term; just during this health emergency. Make it a point to demand that federal, state and local governments provide these equity leveling services permanently and for all.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That weight you\u2019re feeling right now because of the worldwide pandemic&#8230;we, persons with disabilities, have been carrying it for quite some time!<\/p>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Publisher\u2019s Note: CTLatinoNews.com champions the discussion and debate of issues addressing the quality of life of the Hispanic\/Latino community. We welcome the opinions of all Connecticut communities in sharing knowledge, skills, values to make a difference through civic engagement.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>If you have an idea for an Opinion-Editorial piece, please send your ideas to Info@CTLatinoNews.com for consideration.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Doris Maldonado People with disabilities have been in perpetual quarantine long before COVID-19. That\u2019s right! While you&#8217;re drowning in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","ghostkit_customizer_options":"","ghostkit_custom_css":"","ghostkit_custom_js_head":"","ghostkit_custom_js_foot":"","ghostkit_typography":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,121,22],"tags":[1656],"ppma_author":[565],"class_list":["post-5084231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-community","category-health","category-opinion","tag-coronavirushispanicskeep-the-promise-coalitionlatinospeople-with-disabilitiesunitarian-society-of-hartford-accessibility-inclusion-ministry"],"acf":[],"mb":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Jermaine Smith","author_link":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/ctln\/author\/jay\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Doris Maldonado People with disabilities have been in perpetual quarantine long before COVID-19. 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