Today marks the start of Disability Pride Month, but what is Disability Pride Month? Every July, Disability Pride Month recognizes the importance of the ADA, which was signed into law on July 26, 1990. It highlights disability culture, history, and community pride. This month challenges the harmful idea that people with disabilities need to conform to norms to live meaningful lives.
Today, I am neither proud nor happy about the start of this month. Why? Because Donald Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill just passed the Senate and is now headed to the House, where it will most likely pass, unfortunately.
Let me tell you why this Big Bill is not so beautiful for millions of Americans, myself included, and it does way more harm than good, but Republicans don’t care about the people it affects at all.
First of all, what is the Big, Beautiful Bill? Cuts to healthcare and nutrition programs, such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), partially offset the cost of the bill. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the Senate’s bill would add $3.3 trillion to federal deficits over the next decade and leave millions without health insurance. Republicans and the White House dispute those forecasts.
As a person with a disability who relies on Medicaid for my health insurance, I also receive SNAP, as do many people with disabilities, the older population, and people in between. Millions rely on these programs to live and maintain their health.
I am not going to sugarcoat this; I am terrified about what’s to come because we know they’re not done yet. They never are, sadly, a fact we all know is the case, considering what this administration has already done.
As scared as I am, you’re not going to believe me when I say this, I have faith. I don’t have faith that this will go away, but faith in advocates and organizations that have challenged this bill will continue to do so because it matters, it’s needed, future generations must see this fight.
This is not the time for us to give up.
I am tired of having to fight to prove my existence matters as a biracial woman with disabilities and fighting for my fundamental rights like healthcare and home-care, something everyone should be entitled to and deserve, even Donald Trump.
I wish everyone who voted for this Big, Ugly Bill would be forced to live like the people whose lives you are affecting, and maybe then you would start to realize the harm and horrible impact that this bill truly has on people and families.
If that were to happen, I would hope you would do everything in your power to rectify the situation.
Photo by Joshua Woods on Unsplash
