[Nael]

Use this thread to post a bit about yourself and why you support #laststand and DPR.

(Please be mindful of privacy and avoid revealing identifying/personal details where possible.).

I’ll start:

Y’all know me from X/Twitter as Nael. I’m an autistic, trans/queer adult born and raised in Toronto. I’m also a psychiatric survivor (2x institutionalized) and on ODSP. I’m 39 years old and when I was young there was no awareness generally nor in the school system about autism or being trans, so I didn’t know I was either until ages 25 and 35 respectively.

In 2010 I graduated with a master of social work from U of Toronto with a specialization in Community Organizing/Diversity and Social Justice. I wasn’t able to find any work in the field because of the recession and ended up working in admin and customer service jobs for the next decade. In 2021 I began freelancing so as to be able to afford food, hygiene products and prescription co-pays while over 90% of my ODSP income went to rent.

Like many other disabled people living in deep legislated poverty across Canada, I waited from 2019 to now for the promised Canada Disability Benefit, only to be betrayed and left for dead by Budget 2024. Now that we are here, what I can offer us is the skills and experience from my education and experience in community organizing – which is why I’m taking the role of organizer for Last Stand in response to Budget 2024, and what we hope will grow into a bigger movement of disabled people resisting coerced euthanasia around the world: Disabled Peoples’ Revolt.

We will prevail. I know we will. Disabled united will never be defeated!

[Qtain P. Faulkes]

First, just using my twitter handle. I suffer from CPTSD from repeated violent abuse, as well as chronic post surgical pain. I have a degree in business with a side in HR & Project Management. I cannot afford to live independently and as such must rely on family. Unfortunately said family has little interest in my conditions other than to offer typical ableist responses of ‘Well, you need to do this’, as if I haven’t already tried those options or to snidely remark I should take advantage of MAID if it’s that bad.

I was just your average every day person, good job, ability to afford the essentials and what are now called luxuries such as a vacation (twice in 30 years). 10 years ago I stopped a woman being violently assaulted and with that the entire world changed as it brought back all the trauma of abuse from family, being homeless, helpless as a teen. 3 years ago I had hernia surgery (1 of 2). The mesh used was #2 on a class action lawsuit in Quebec. So despite it causing mobility issues and chronic pain, I’m told it’s just post surgical pain and I’ll have to live with it. I’ve had a nerve block (which is temporary) that led to other complications. I tried pain management clinics with little success and being on CPPD there was unfortunately little money to afford to travel to or medications prescribed by them to continue treatment.

I recently moved to a more rural area (I had no choice in the matter). I do not drive. Everything is a hill here so quite literally going up hill both ways which worsens the pain. There are no sidewalks except directly in town, so winter is especially difficult to get around in.

I advocate where I am able, writing to politicians (federally, provincially), signing petitions.

I looked forward at the initial announcement of the CDB, that I might have some measure of independence. Ability to afford medication, travel for medical appointments, dietary food or supplies for art therapy. My opinion is that throughout the entire process PWD have been gaslit by the government.

The town I live in has a high proportion of folks with ‘F*ck Trudeau’ bumper stickers, belief that covid isn’t real, masking isn’t needed. Even on the initial drive here I could see remnants of the ‘protest’ by convoy people spray painted across bridges on the highway. I am also affected by noise (as part of hyper-vigilance), so I wasn’t pleased that at Christmas the local police and ambulances ran a food drive by driving around the neighborhoods blasting sirens every time they received a donation, which just made it sound like a mass casualty event.

The most I leave my room is to walk my senior dog (no fenced yard) and that is exceedingly challenging between the terrain, lack of sidewalks, hyper-vigilance and a population that seems to be the antithesis of empathy. People won’t even clean up after their pets, in winter the snowbanks are literally covered in pet waste.

All things considered, I have it better than some in the disability community, so where I am able I directly donate to other people because I know the struggle. Unfortunately one emergency ruins finances for a month or more, like my dog needing surgery last month. I haven’t been able to afford a dentist in years. The wait time for a family doctor here is 3 years.

The only thing I can do is use my voice and my vote. One piece of advice I will give readers is that it is free to send postal mail to MPs in the House of Commons (no stamp required). While not a lot of people write letters these days. I prefer it as it forces staff at the MP offices to open the letter, to read it and respond, rather than an automatic reply via email.

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