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Three more disability links for Thursday, July 4, 2024.
1. How the War in Gaza Makes Life Nearly Impossible for Disabled People
Julia Métraux and Sophie Hurwitz, Mother Jones - July 2, 2024
“A United Nations committee warned in May of ‘the disproportionate impacts on people with disabilities due to the destruction of hospitals, the cut-off of essential services, restrictions, [and] non-existing access to humanitarian assistance’ amid the war waged in response to Hamas’s attack on October 7th.”
2. Palestine X Disability Justice Syllabus
Alice Wong, Disability Visibility Project - July 1, 2024
“Below is a list of publications from the Disability Visibility Project on Palestinian liberation and disability justice and related topics. Through these essays I hope people can make the connections and be in solidarity with the people of Palestine who are fighting for their homeland and right to exist.”
3. Disability Divest: We Demand the Disability Establishment End Its Relationships with War Profiteers
Disability Divest, Disability Visibility Project - July 2, 2024
“Disabled Palestinians in Gaza, already suffering from lack of access to medical care and assistive technology due to Israel’s 16-year illegal blockade of Gaza, are disproportionately at risk of dying. The Israeli blockade has cut off access to food, water, medication, and assistive devices. People with mobility, chronic illness, visual, hearing, mental health, or developmental disabilities may not be informed about evacuation orders or be unable to evacuate quickly enough to avoid further disablement or death. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have systematically targeted and bombed critical infrastructure including hospitals, schools, and roads, leading to a total collapse of Gaza’s health system and the decimation of Gaza’s education system.”
I find it hard to write anything useful about Gaza, even from a disability perspective. My views and feelings about what’s happening there don’t fit well into anyone’s idea of moral or intellectual consistency. All I seem to be able to muster is a rather “basic,” but still true observation about military actions of every kind, justified or not. They fall harder on disabled people, and make a lot more disabled people, in the worst possible ways. For that reason alone, disabled people and disability communities have every reason to take a special interest in wars and armed atrocities, and to speak about this aspect of them that’s too often forgotten or glossed over.
I hope these three links are helpful.
Disability Thinking Weekday is a Monday-Friday newsletter with links and commentary on disability-related articles and videos.
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I suggest you stay out of this politicized topic. Or do equal time for both. Did Hamas take any disabled hostages? I understand there were some.