The lives of people with disabilities continue to be threatened by policies at all levels during the pandemic. Are the lives of people with disabilities not equally worthy and valuable as those of people without disabilities? Notifications and reminders from Health and Human Services like this one leave us to wonder: “HHS is committed to leaving no one behind during an emergency, and this guidance is designed to help health care providers meet that goal … Persons with disabilities … should not be put at the end of the line for health services during emergencies. Our civil rights laws protect the equal dignity of every human life from ruthless utilitarianism.”
In light of statistics provided by the National Center for Health Statistics in the United States as of late March, when 9,681 deaths have been related to the coronavirus and 8,804 of this population are 55 to 85 years old, we have to connect the dots. These people are classified as seniors with compromised systems. The lives of seniors and people with disabilities have always been at risk; whenever there’s a natural disaster or healthcare crisis, they are more likely to die. Whether we like it or not, it’s true but these deaths can be reduced. Stavros continues to provide services and work cooperatively with MassHealth to adjust home care services and advocate with other national organizations to preserve the lives of our community. For example, we have signed on to the National Council of Independent Living Center’s letter to Health and Human Services asking them to stop “Medical Rationing.”
We are asking you and others to call your Congress, Senate and HHS to issue further guidance to ensure that plans to ration scarce health care resources during the COVID-19 pandemic comply with federal nondiscrimination laws. Let them know we are not dispensable.
Joseph Tringali
Amherst