Max AirborneOnce again disabled and fat people across so-called California are organizing for our survival, as PG&E cuts power to try and avoid wildfires. As Stacey Milbern of Disability Justice Culture Club put it, “For disabled communities, not doing emergency mutual aid planning means people die or wind up institutionalized.” Two weeks ago, a man died because he was sleeping with his breathing device and his power was cut. No power = no breath.
In Stacey’s words: “Nondisabled friends: Ask those in power what they are doing for those most vulnerable in climate crises and hold them accountable. (If BART runs this week, will elevators be up too? Are there shelters where people can power up? If the air quality gets dangerous, are there places people can go to be safe? Are the places fragrance free, wheelchair accessible, open past 5 pm?) Check on your friends and neighbors, even the ones you don’t know — especially the ones you don’t know — and build relationships for emergencies. Organize your friends to be ready to deploy support. Skill up together and cross train, even the stuff you really don’t want to learn.
Please do not leave it to disabled people to keep ourselves alive.”
If you need SUPPORT, go to https://tinyurl.com/disneeds
If you have RESOURCES, go to https://tinyurl.com/disresources
SURVIVAL SKILLSHARE doc is at https://tinyurl/dissurvival
Donate
Venmo stacey-milbern to buy generators, batteries, hotel rooms, & rides for disabled people. A small group will track funds and make consensus decisions where the money goes. We’ve raised $3,580 so far.
[image: drawing of two disabled people together in solidarity. One is fat with yellow skin, wearing a green t-shirt and a CPAP nasal mask attached by a tube to an O2 concentrator. The other is thin, with brown skin, wearing a red and yellow striped shirt and jeans, sitting in a power wheelchair with a joystick. Both have short hair. The taller person has their arm around the person in a wheelchair. Green words say WE NEED #PowerToLive ]