July is Disability Pride month and in classic Claire fashion, I’m here to educate. . I constantly hear that disabled people mooch off the government, that disabled people are lazy, that we have less worth... Here are some facts for you (and a visual description for those who need it). Social security income is $841 (ssa.gov) Average price of rent in California is $1,698 (rentcafe.com) annual average cost of living in California is $46,636. (Sofi.com) Average total income on SSI is $10,092 (ssa.gov) Forced into poverty: bank account must be under $2,000 (ssa.gov) No marriage equality: reduction or loss of benefits if married (aarp.org) . We honor disability pride month by discussing how America needs to better help and support our community. We talk about accessibility, inclusion, and acceptance. Disability shouldn’t force us into poverty or threaten losing support if we get married. I will not stay quiet. . Video description: Claire, a white person with buzzed hair who uses a manual wheelchair, rolls towards the camera. They wear a white shirt with a black design of a person in a wheelchair, blue jeans, and checkered vans. There is a hedge to one side of her and a white wall on the other. She slowly crosses her hands. The text on screen reads “disabled people mooch off the government.” As text appears in the screen, we see snapshot videos of Claire, who slowly moves back into the distance with each beat until disappearing. The text reads “Social security income is $841. Average price of rent in California is $1,698. annual average cost of living in California is $46,636.Average total income on SSI is $10,092. Forced into poverty: bank account must be under $2,000.” . #DisabilityPride #DisabilityJustice #TetheredCord #POTS #SpinaBifida