How many people do you notice in your lectures wearing masks? How many coughs do you hear? Even though federal and state government policies treat COVID-19 risk with little concern, health science research continues to demonstrate the necessity of masking to prevent its contraction. COVID is a multi-systemic, vascular disease that damages every system in your body. Each COVID-19 infection that you contract results in cumulative damage, weakening the immune system. Weakened immune systems aren’t able to fight off infection as readily, meaning that any sickness can potentially be life-threatening and disabling. Unchecked immune system damage forces constant sickness to be many people’s new reality.
A Trip in Westwood
UCLA made me disabled.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been ill my whole life. I was diagnosed with Marfan Syndrome at 18 months old, a rare genetic disorder that makes my connective tissue more elastic and prone to spontaneous breakage. I hear from every medical professional I see that I am a textbook marfanoid; there was even a photo of 6-year-old me on The Marfan Foundation’s “Signs & Symptoms” page for a decade. I am a literal poster child for my condition.
Inherently and Creatively Political with Christopher Ikonomou: Disability Pride (Month) Spotlight
For a special edition of the Disability Month Spotlight series, I was fortunate enough to interview our very own Editor-in-Chief, Christopher Ikonomou (xe/he).
Finding and Standing Up For Yourself with Walela Nehanda: Disability Pride (Month) Spotlight
Photo by Walela Nehanda (They/Them) **Content Warning: brief mentions of abuse** This article will highlight the moments when the CW is relevant, but regardless, please read at your own discretion. Welcome to the fourth installment of our Disability Pride Month…
Disability Pride Month: An Introduction
Graphic by Christopher Ikonomou (Xe/He) As we leave June’s LGBTQ+ Pride Month, we are welcomed by July’s Disability Pride Month. First celebrated in 1990 in Boston, Disability Pride is essentially a celebration of the bodies and minds we have. This…
We Must Demand UCLA Continue Masking & Testing Protocols
Photo by Ashley Kenney/Daily Bruin Spending the last two years in the pandemic and trying to avoid getting sick with COVID-19 (or anything else, for that matter) has shown me a very scary cycle that the country goes through. When…
Striking For Our Safety: The Community Calls For Hybrid Options
Photo provided by the Disabled Student Union (DSU), Undergraduate Students Association Council (USAC), and Mother Organizations Coalition (MO) In the Fall quarter of 2021, I covered a student protest led by the Disabled Student Union (DSU). The demands for transparency…
We Are Not Disposable: The Disabled Student Union’s Protest for Remote Access
Photo by Rowan O’Bryan “UCLA ab-le-ist!” replaces the “fight-fight-fight” in the UCLA iconic 8-clap at last Friday’s Disabled Student Union (DSU) protest for remote instruction. Many wore white in solidarity. As we head into the second year with the coronavirus,…
