Today’s episode emphasises how official narratives and “maps” often obscure the devastating human impact of policy changes, particularly on disabled, autistic, and low-income individuals. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, argues that mainstream media and institutional reports, like those from Disability Scoop, present a sanitised view of budget cuts and policy reforms, focusing on “concern” rather than the lived reality of those affected. In contrast, independent writing offers essential “survival context” by detailing how policy shifts like Medicaid cuts and block grants lead to concrete losses in services, housing, and mobility, making entire communities invisible. This “lived-experience writing” serves as a crucial counter-narrative, exposing the systemic abandonment that official language often conceals and providing vital clarity and orientation for those navigating a system designed to make them disappear. Ultimately, Dr. Hoerricks champions narrative itself as a form of infrastructure, essential for building understanding, fostering collective action, and drawing new paths for survival when established routes no longer exist.
Here’s the link to the source article: https://open.substack.com/pub/autside/p/what-the-map-doesnt-show-you-legible
Let me know what you think.
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