Do not vote conservative tomorrow

I've not posted much (for me) on social media about the election this time around. It's been too scary for me to engage with properly. But now it's the eve of polling day and I need to say something. (TLDR: Don't vote conservative)

I am scared.
I am scared of what I might wake up to on December 13th.
Why? Well I depend on government funding for everything in life right now and over the last 9 years I've watched that funding get more and more scarce, the support services I need get more stretched.
I'm scared that one day, in the not so distant future they won't be there or that I'll find myself on the wrong side of a reform that leaves me with no support past what my family can provide.

Without NHS funding I would have no wheelchair and I cannot leave my home. It took over 12 months from requesting a review, and five months from prescription, to actually get my current chair.

Without NHS funding I would not be able to afford the medication to help me stay conscious, breathing well and keep a lid on my pain. Heck I'm not sure I'd even be able to cover the NHS prescription charges for all of them never mind market price.

Without NHS treatment programmes and specialists I would not know how to manage my conditions effectively or how to negotiate with a world not designed for me.

Without Social Care funding I wouldn't be able to go to uni or live independently. I dread my annual review because 3 times out of 4 it's been used as an opportunity to try to cut my care hours. Not because the social care department is callous, just because they have no spare cash to go around. Every time has been a fight, every time it's had negative consequences on my mental and physical health. The underfunding of the care system is a national scandal.

Actually without a Social Care disabled facilities grant I would not be able to even get into or out of the house. That grant paid for a lift to negotiate the steps into my family home. That sort of grant is like hens teeth now.

Without disability benefits I wouldn't be able to afford to live. Being disabled is expensive! There are so many extra costs that mount up you would not believe it if I laid them all out for you. ESA, PIP and DLA before it are all very crucial benefits and are already extremely hard to get. Do not believe the lies you're told about fraud (look at the stats, it's very low). The whole process of getting them is (yet again) a fight. You are constantly disbelieved and your account of life is discounted, even when you have the medical evidence to back it up. It's been four years since I had a benefits assessment and I still get anxious when a DWP envelope comes through the door. People have quite literally died because of the cuts and reforms that have been implemented since 2010

This is just one snapshot. This is just a little bit of my life. This does not include all the pernicious lines in speeches that consistently devalue my existence, or the newspaper coverage that frames me as a scrounger, or all of the times equalities law is woefully inadequate or unenforced. There are thousands of stories like mine, worse than mine, people more impacted than me.

Support systems for disabled people are frankly shit right now. The tory's plans are not going to improve them.
If you care about disabled people, if you'd like us to have the same opportunities in life as you do; don't vote Tory.
If you care about me; don't vote tory.
If you care about older people, your grandparents, parents, or even yourself in a few years time; don't vote tory.
If you care about children's futures, about education and child care; don't vote tory.
If you care that people are working full time jobs *and still* need to use foodbanks; don't vote tory.

This is not okay, it cannot go on. It's probably clear to you which way I'm voting. How you vote is up to you, but please do not vote conservative tomorrow. #toriesout