Civil Rights
Thursday, September 11 2008
As follow up from yesterday, I think it’s worth explaining why the challenges facing someone with chronic illness are a problem of civil rights. We tend to think of civil rights as being an African-American cause, but in the plainest sense the problem is one of constraint on the civic, social, and economic participatiion of a group of people. This is more subtle and perhaps less severe for sick people than it is (or was) for blacks, but no less real. The fact is that my civic and especially my economic participation is strictly limited for reasons that are not themselves manifestations of my illness. For example, because I require health insurance to get the care I need to live a decent life, I am limited in the sorts of careers and jobs I attempt. Self-employment, many small businesses, and a range of contracting and consulting opportunities are effectively off-limits to me. This is not merely unfair, but injust – and it extends beyond the provision health care to a range of issues.
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